The Adventures of Life
by kelse645
Summary: What will happen when a mysterious boy visits with Uncle Max and Liesl falls for him? Drama ensues.
1. Introductions

"Oh, girls, do be careful!" Maria von Trapp giggled as she tossed a handful of flour towards her daughters.

"Mother, look out!" Brigitta called in return as her sister Marta launched an egg her way. Maria gasped, ducking just before the egg hit the shelf of pots behind her.

"Marta! Look what you did," Brigitta mock-accused her younger sister with a giggle.

"Oh, Brigitta, come on now…" Maria scolded before welcoming a hug from Marta. Her short arms wrapped around her mother's neck.

"Mother, are we really going to make cookies?" Marta asked, pulling away to look at her Mother's honest face. Maria glanced around the spacious kitchen, and saw that everything that was once in its place, wasn't. The counters, floors, and shelves were all covered in a mixture of white powder, eggshells, and a yellow substance that was dripping slowly from the shelf.

"I'm afraid not, darling. It seems that we've made quite a mess," Marta looked around the room and then, at Brigitta, and giggled.

"Brigitta, you're covered in flour!" Her sister looked down at herself and gasped. "In my nice dress, too!" she disciplined herself. "But we're all covered in it!" she laughed, sliding onto the floor alongside her Mother. Maria wiped her forehead tiredly, looking around.

"Marta, dear, go fetch Katia and tell her we're in dire need of a mop or two." Maria ordered her daughter before she scampered off to get the kitchen maid.

"Father will be so proud of us!" Brigitta declared with a silly smile.

"And why is that?" her mother asked, giving her daughter a curious look.

"Well, we've pulled a lot of tricks in our lifetime, and this is the biggest one yet!" Maria chuckled.

"Oh yes, he'll be very proud." Just then they heard singing from the hallway, and they instantly recognized the voice.

Louisa and Gretl wandered into the kitchen, Gretl singing 'The Hills Are Alive'. Louisa was beginning to get annoyed, but was even more annoyed when she saw the mess that had been made in the kitchen without her. "You had a food fight without me? Unheard of," she snapped, eyeing the messy room.

"Oh darling, we meant to make cookies but-" "Then Mother threw flour at me, and I couldn't help throwing some back," Brigitta snickered, finishing her mother's sentence. Louisa glared at them both, and then looked at the clock. Four forty-five.

"Ha. Father will be home soon, and you'll both be in trouble."

Brigitta rolled her eyes, "Louisa, you could've joined the party but you and Gretl were too busy playing dolls." Louisa ogled at her sister's comeback. She crossed her arms and slid down to sit next to her sister and mother. "Fine."

"But Mother, what about the cookies?" little Gretl questioned in a truly worried voice.

"Maybe we'll make some tomorrow, darling. I don't think it's going to be possible tonight," Maria said in a tired voice.

"Look!" Marta rushed into the room, Katia in tow with mops in hand. "Oh my…what have you done to my kitchen?" the short, plump woman gasped, taking in the mess.

"We're sorry, Katia, we'll clean it up. Right, girls?" Maria asked, glancing at each of her daughters. She raised her eyebrows when no one responded. Brigitta and Louisa mumbled yes, and the younger girls disappointedly answered, "Yes, Mother." Each girl proceeded to grab a mop, and everyone started to clean. Louisa suddenly began to giggle.

"What are you laughing at Louisa?" Brigitta questioned curiously. "Just…just, you all are covered in flour! We need Father's camera to capture how silly you all look," Louisa giggled into her hand and soon after, everyone began to laugh while they cleaned. Katia looked on proudly at the sight; the Captain surely had chosen the right woman.

* * *

><p>"Finally!" Louisa huffed, once they had finished cleaning the kitchen.<p>

"I am _exasperated!"_Brigitta agreed, wiping her forehead. Tugging on her mother's skirt, Gretl asked, "What does ex-sas-per-ated mean?"

"It means that you're tired, Gretl." Maria answered. Hands on her hips, she looked around the room with a proud sense of accomplishment. "Well done, girls! Your Father will never know." Louisa and Brigitta burst out in giggles at this statement, and Marta and Gretl followed soon after. "Wha…what are you laughing at?" Maria followed their gaze and turned around to find…Georg.

"Oh, Georg!" Maria exclaimed, surprised.

"Franz told me you all were in here," Georg commented, glancing around the room, his suspicious, crooked smile landing on his wife.

Suddenly, Friedrich and Kurt burst in to the room. "Look Mother, Father bought us a cake for dessert tonight!" The children crowded around the delicacy Friedrich held, 'oohs' and 'aahs' filling the air. Georg wrapped an arm around his wife, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Sorry we were away so long." He murmured into her ear. "It's alright; we had a lovely time making a mess." Maria purred back, bravely looking him in the eyes. He returned her loving gaze as the pair ambled towards their children.

"Oh Mother, look!" Brigitta exclaimed, pulling her mother into the circle that had developed around the cake.

"It's beautiful!" Maria remarked, "Who picked it?"

Friedrich and Kurt exchanged a glance. "Father did," they replied with a grin, and everyone turned towards Georg. Maria smirked, for her Georg had always been so tough and determined, but here, here was his soft side.

"Lovely choice, darling." Louisa and Gretl began to giggle.  
>Georg gave a hearty laugh. "Alright, alright. Go wash up for dinner, children. Uncle Max will be here soon." The children chorused their favorite uncle's name excitedly and ran off towards the foyer. "I should probably change too," Maria added, glancing down at her dress, which was covered in mostly flour and yellow liquid. Georg chuckled, "Agreed. Max will be here in an hour or so."<br>"And I should be done in time to help you greet him," Maria commented with a smile, kissing her husband on the lips. Georg watched as she drifted into the foyer, and was suddenly reminded how awestruck he was by her beauty. _I hope she wears the blue dress, _he thought, a devilish grin developing on his lips.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Diary, <em>

_Life is better than it ever has been. Mother and Father are deeply in love, and everyone is happy. Even Uncle Max is coming tonight to stay with us for a month or two, and he said he was bringing gifts. Of course, knowing Uncle Max, that could be anything. I've started to read more lately, and with the advice of Brigitta, have begun _The Wizard of Oz. _ It's a marvelous book so far, though I just hope she doesn't spoil the ending. Rolfe has finally gone away to be in the army – something I'm more than thankful for. I think I might be over him, really. But that doesn't mean I'm ready to start courting again. Besides, Father would never let me.  
>Love, Liesl<br>_

Liesl von Trapp slammed her leather-bound diary shut with a dreamy sigh. How perfect life was. For the first time in a long time, her family was blissful and joyous and her father wasn't a drill sergeant. She pressed her palms against the cold stone bench she was perched upon, as if to make sure she wasn't in a dream. Thankfully, she wasn't. _What time is it?_she wondered to herself. Lately, she'd been spending most of her time deep in her family's garden, taking strolls, thinking about the past and dreaming about the future.

"I hope…I hope I'm not late," she whispered to herself. Liesl knew that if anyone started to wonder about where she was and came looking for her, she would be hard to find. Glancing up at the soft, blue sky, she relaxed; the sun was peeking out from behind a cloud, preparing to set beautifully against the glistening lake. _Ah, well…I should go change for Uncle Max's arrival, _she decided.

* * *

><p>Georg sat in his study, awaiting Max's arrival. He grabbed the Viennese newspaper he'd picked up during his trip to the bakery, and flipped to a random page. It was an article about his mother-in-law-he had flipped to the society section. Not wanting to bore himself with the details of his late wife's mother's life, he turned to the weather section. This week the weather would be all storms and clouds – Maria would be disappointed; she had wanted to take a trip to the mountains with the children sometime.<p>

"Hmmm…" This meant he would have to come up with activities to entertain his family, but mostly Max. His best friend was like a grown-up child, and maybe that was why his children loved him so much. Once Max had even helped the children build a snowman of their father; he remembered the giggles of the children as they watched Georg's reaction – a mix of amusement and disapproval. Georg chuckled to himself, pondering his past for a moment.

The moment was over soon however, and the doorbell rang an impatient total of three times. Georg groaned, standing up from his comfortable chair to greet his friend.  
>He entered the foyer, and shooed Franz away, which earned him a surprised gaze from his butler. "I've got it." He strode towards the door, opening the door a peep to make sure it really was Max. Upon seeing the scruffy mess that was his friend, he opened it all the way.<p>

"Georg!" Max greeted enthusiastically with a smile. "How good it is to see you!" Georg analyzed his friend's choice of attire – a black bowtie paired with a tan suit and white undershirt.

He shook his head with a chuckle, "It's good to see you too, Max. And your clothes," Georg snickered.

"Oh hush, my clothes are fine. Besides, I don't have your money. Now where is that charming wife of yours?" Max peered past Georg into the house. "She'll be down in a moment, stop being so nosy," Georg told his friend, irritated.

Max rolled his eyes. "Well, aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Of course, but-," Georg started to say, but he was interrupted by a rather unknown voice.

"Herr Detweiler, where do you want this?" a strong voice interjected.

"Who…?" Georg began to ask, but his question was answered as a tall, blonde boy walked towards the door from around Max's car.

"The butler will get it," Max shooed the boy away, and turned back towards his friend. "You were saying?"

Georg cocked a curious eyebrow towards Max, pulling his gaze away from the boy. "Who is that?" he questioned sharply, glaring at his friend.

"Who?" Max made a confused face, which only caused Georg to narrow his eyebrows even more. "Oh…that is Lukas."

"And why is he here?" Georg grilled, gritting his teeth as he spoke. "He's my…prodigy, of sorts. I thought you would like to meet him. He's staying here with me, if you don't mind," Max answered frankly. Georg watched as the boy lifted two heavy looking trunks out of Max's car and carried them towards the door with no problem. As he came closer to the door, Georg noticed that the boy had very noticeable muscles and was suddenly quite annoyed. "Well-"

Just then, a blur of black, brown, and white unexpectedly pounced on Max. "Get this thing off of me!" he cried, trying to shove the massive figure off of him.

"Here, Gracie!" a woman's voice called from inside the house. Maria appeared behind Georg, who was watching the scene, amused. "Down, girl!" she called in a stern voice. After a few moments, the excited blur backed off and ran inside, scampering towards its owner. "W-what was that… thing?" Max quivered, clearly in shock.

Maria laughed enthusiastically. "That _thing _was our dog, Gracie. I still haven't really gotten control of her yet."  
>"I'll say!" Max agreed, dusting his suit off and checking for scratches. "It was like a…a bear attack!"<p>

Georg chuckled at this comment. "I'm starting to like that dog even more, darling." Georg joked to his wife, "Even Gretl didn't scream like that, Max," he added, embarrassing his friend.

"Oh Georg, stop teasing him," Maria swatted at her husband's arm and then declared, "Bienvenue à notre foyer heureux!" with open arms and a confident smile. Georg beamed at his wife.

"Learning French, eh?" Max inquired, an impressed look on his face.

"Oh, yes; Georg's been teaching me, along with some of the children," she replied modestly, petting Gracie's soft fur.

"Well, it's a hard language to learn," Max stated candidly.

"It really is," the blonde boy agreed, strolling up to stand by Max. "My father made me learn it in the fifth grade and I failed every test." Maria was taken aback by the stranger, while Georg was just irritated by his confidence.

"And who might this be?" The question was directed towards Max by Maria, a confused look on her face.

"Maria, this is my, er...prodigy, Lukas. Lukas, this is the Bar-"

"Oh, I know. Good evening, Baroness." Georg put a protective arm around his wife as the boy kissed her hand. He gave his friend a dangerous glare, silently letting him know that he didn't like the boy. Max shrugged; this was just the boy's personality.

"Good evening, welcome to our home," Maria greeted, a warm smile developing on her lips.

"And this is the Baron." Max introduced gingerly.

"Good evening, Baron." Georg studied the boy; his dark blonde hair was perfectly in place, swooping towards the right side of his face and he had medium sized brown eyes that glimmered with self-assurance. His face was chiseled and his body toned, but he ignored his looks-he didn't seem to care or notice. He had a high-class air to him, probably because of his clothes and generally put-together look.

"Good evening…Lukas." Georg replied, a careful tone in his voice. He didn't know what quite to think of the boy yet, and frankly, that scared him.

"Well, come inside you both! Franz will get the bags," Maria strolled into the foyer, and Georg held the door for the guests, watching them, though mostly Lukas, observe the room.

"You have a beautiful home, Baron von Trapp." Lukas ventured with a pleasant smile, glancing around the room.

"Thank you," Georg retorted indifferently. Noticing her husband's dislike towards the boy, Maria squeezed his hand tenderly.

"Uncle Max!" the children suddenly exclaimed from the top of the stairs. Soon enough, Max was enveloped in six children, hugs and greetings surrounding him.

"Yes, yes, I'm here!" he laughed, embracing each of the children.

"Did you see our dog?" Gretl questioned eagerly.

"Oh, he saw her." Lukas snorted with a chuckle. With that comment, everyone's attention was turned toward the tall, blonde boy in the corner. _Who is _that_? _Louisa thought to herself.

"Yes…I did." Max replied in an unsteady tone, glancing at Lukas with a cautious face. "Erm, children, this is Lukas." The children eyed the boy curiously. "He's one of my clients." _More like victims, _Georg wanted to say, but Lukas looked smart. And he was witty, which he appreciated, especially when directed towards Max.

"Clients?" Brigitta questioned her uncle suspiciously.

"Well, you know...I publicize them, help them get jobs and such," Max explained tensely. "Anyways, there are presents in the car." And with that one comment, all six children were off and running outside excitedly. "Ah, there they go." Max chuckled to Georg. "But I only counted six…where_ is_ that delightful eldest daughter of yours?" Maria pondered this for a moment, "I haven't seen her all day…"

Suddenly behind them, the ballroom doors burst open. "Uncle Max!" Liesl's voice exclaimed, her trademark grin on her face.

"Liesl! Hello, darling!" Max replied. Georg watched Lukas's face change as his eldest daughter strolled over to the group; his bored face changed to a fascinated gawk, which of course, Georg did not enjoy. His daughter had always been a fascination to his friend's sons. One time, Baron Heifenstag had even whispered to him that his wife wanted pretty grandchildren and he instantly threw the man and his son out of his house. Max embraced his niece, taking notice of the notebook she held.

"Journal writing, eh?"

"It helps…with things," Liesl's voice trailed off as she noticed her father looking at her curiously.

"Oh, how rude of me. Liesl, this is Lukas, my prodigy." Max introduced.

Lukas held out his strong hand, and Liesl, her soft one. Their eyes met as their hands met, and there was an instant mutual connection between the two.

"Hello," Lukas greeted, a smile playing on his lips.

"Hello," Liesl replied safely. She forced innocence into her voice to hide her feelings from the three adults watching. _And so it begins, _Georg thought with a grimace.


	2. Interrogation

I do not own the Sound of Music, or any of the characters involved. Not the most eventful chapter, buy hey its an update~

"Alright, alright. Liesl, go wash up." Georg interrupted the moment gruffly, much to everyone's dismay. Liesl tried to hide her disappointment as she muttered, "Yes, Father." She started up the stairs to her room, her head aflutter with thoughts of the mysterious boy. Why was he here? Who was he?  
>_<p>

"Georg…he's just a boy." Maria repeated gently, as she sat anxiously in the leatherback chair. With three out of four walls covered with mahogany shelves stuffed with books, all of which her husband had most likely read, Georg's study was charming. It reminded her of the bookstore in town that Brigitta always begged to go to. Georg gave his wife an exasperated look.

"But it's not him I'm worried about, it's Liesl." He aimlessly thumbed through a book he had read a thousand times, then placed it back on the shelf. Was he the only one who had witnessed the hint of intrigue in Liesl's voice, or the allure in Lukas's? For god's sake, he didn't even know the boy and he already disliked him.

"Darling, they just arrived! They don't even know each other yet!" Maria exclaimed incredulously. Was this how Georg was going to react to all their daughter's relationships? She was suddenly very exhausted. "Just…just calm down."

Georg considered this and sighed. His wife was right, and he could do nothing but accept it-he was overreacting. "Alright, but if-" There was a knock on the door. "Come in," he called.

"Dinner is served, sir." Franz announced, a stiff look on his face.

"Thank you, we'll be in in a moment," Georg replied, nodding him off. Maria gave her husband a doubtful look. Of course she, too, had noticed her daughter's reaction to the boy-her dark blue eyes twinkled, their cloudy mysteriousness disappearing. Maria followed Georg out, and linked her arm in his.

"You're alright now?" Maria questioned uncertainly.

"Of course, darling. I just have to ask a few questions first," he replied with a devilish wink. _This is going to be a lovely dinner, _Maria thought to herself. Her stomach churned, and it wasn't because she was hungry.  
>_<p>

"I like spaghetti," Kurt had declared after taking just one bite. The whole table chuckled at Kurt's announcement, except Liesl, who was absorbed in Lukas. She watched the way he laughed, the way he stared at his food, the way he put it in his mouth; she was obsessed. His dirty blonde hair flopped into his face whenever he looked down, and his cute brown sweater fit him perfectly.

Brigitta watched her sister blatantly stare at the new boy-she was in love and it was obvious. So, painfully obvious. She silently prayed for her sister, in hopes that Father wouldn't notice. Glancing at him, she found that he was too absorbed in conversation with Uncle Max to realize. She nudged Louisa, who was deliberately avoiding the one-sided stare-off that was going on between her sister and Lukas. "How does he not notice her just _staring _at him…idiot," Louisa snorted to Brigitta in a low voice.

"I really…don't know, but it doesn't matter," Brigitta whispered. "Father's going to notice her soon!"  
>Louisa shrugged. "So what?" She then continued to casually stuff spaghetti into her mouth, much to Brigitta's dismay.<p>

"So Lukas, tell us a little about yourself," Georg began coolly.

"Well, I live in Vienna with my mother, who owns a boutique, and my father who is a chef at Fritz's, which I'm sure you all have been to." Georg ignored the snide comment about his social status, and motioned for him to continue. "My father used to sing at a nightclub downtown, which is how he met my mother, who was a socialite at the time. I guess I inherited my singing talent from him, but I taught myself the piano and violin when I was away at boarding school during my middle school years."

Lukas shrugged. "What else do you want to know?" he questioned Georg, bravely looking him in the eye.

Georg paused. "Mmmm…how old are you?" His wife rolled her eyes at the question, knowing he only wanted to see if the boy was around Liesl's age. Liesl, however, perked up at the question, for the exact same reason.

"I'm eighteen," he answered proudly. Uncle Max chuckled at the boy's confidence; it was a quality he admired, probably because he was such a pushover. Georg considered this for a moment. _Eighteen…two years more than sixteen, _he thought. Looking up, he saw Maria's disapproving frown, and he instantly knew she was right not to meddle in their children's relationships. He dropped the subject immediately, but the thought still irked him, if only a little.

Friedrich watched the boy speak to his father with such confidence, and he instantly envied him. His father was his idol, his role model…it was his duty to join the Navy, just like he did. But how could he possibly live up to his larger-than-life father? Mother was always telling him how he was such a lovely boy, but he would never be _great_ unless he followed in Father's footsteps.

Georg glanced past Lukas and Max. "Louisa, are we still going to the stables on Wednesday?" he questioned his daughter with a grin. Louisa's face instantly brightened at the question; she cherished any alone time she had with her father because it was rare with six siblings.

"Of course, Father!" she replied excitedly. A toothy smile appeared on her face as she glanced down at her spaghetti and put a forkful into her mouth.

"Liesl, are you alright?" Kurt asked his sister, a concerned look on his face. The question startled her, and she suddenly sat up straight, glancing down at her lap.

"Oh, oh…yes." She stammered nervously. Who else had been watching her stare at Lukas? Surely not Father, but just to make sure, she'd ask Brigitta later. Taking a bite of spaghetti, she looked to Lukas, only to find that instead, _she _was being stared at. His eyebrow was raised, and a flirty smile danced on his lips. Her heart jumped, and she panicked, pretending to nod and laugh at what Marta and Gretl had been saying. No, she hadn't been staring at him, not at _all._She could pretend, couldn't she?

Later that evening, after all the festivities having to do with the arrival of Uncle Max had ended, the three eldest von Trapp daughters gathered in Liesl's room. Louisa groaned. "Why am I here?"

Brigitta rolled her eyes, "Listen," she urged, pointing to Liesl, who was snuggled up on a pale pink couch.

"Why does he have to be so handsome?" Liesl moaned, burying her face in a pillow. "And I made a complete fool out of myself at dinner." Louisa nodded in agreement, which earned her a nudge from Brigitta.

"Brigitta…did Father see me?" Liesl couldn't even imagine if her Father knew about any of her past love interests, all of which came to a grand total of one. She cringed even thinking about it.

"Thankfully for you, no. But you have to be careful, Liesl, otherwise he'll suspect something." Brigitta warned, a serious look on her face. "You should tell Mother you like him, though." Liesl threw her sister a skeptical look. "I mean, you told her about Rolf. Why not Lukas?" Liesl groaned again.

"I was just lucky she didn't tell about Rolf last time," she concluded, as her head pulsed with all the rotten memories of Rolf.

It was Louisa's turn to roll her eyes. "You're being overdramatic, Liesl. Mother is the most trustworthy person I've ever met, and she _did _keep your secret about Rolf. Doesn't that tell you something?"

Brigitta nodded. "Louisa's right," she stated curtly.

"Ugh, I don't know what to do." Liesl's face was screwed up in confusion as stared at her lap uncertainly. Louisa and Brigitta exchanged a hopeless glance.

"Just…do what you think is right," Brigitta was trying to help her sister, but she was in such a state of confusion and boy-craziness that nothing she said would help. And of course, Louisa was no help either.

Liesl got up and walked to the mirror, studying herself in the reflection. "Am I…pretty?" she questioned her sisters unsurely.

Louisa sighed. "Liesl…" The truth was she was jealous of her sisters' looks and features. Liesl's light brown hair perfectly accentuated her petite face, and her tall stature made any clothes she wore look good on her. Brigitta's jet black hair was a feature that fit her, letting everyone around know she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, and her huge eyes also fit her observant personality. Her own boring blonde hair was bland and she stood at an average height, making her look like just an average person, while her sisters resembled exotic beauties. But of course, she never let them know this.

Liesl suddenly turned around to point at Louisa. "And you! You _better _not tell Father about this when you go to the stables on Wednesday." Both Liesl and Brigitta stared at their sister, and after a few moments, the pressure got to her.

Louisa groaned, crossing her arms across her chest. "Fine." Liesl gave her a winning smile, and took Brigitta's hand in hers cheerfully.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cheered excitedly. Then there was an unexpected knock at the door, and the three girls jumped. Liesl hurriedly glided towards the door, cracking it a bit to find their mother. "Mother!" she exclaimed, happily.

"Hello girls!" Maria smiled. "I just came to say goodnight."

"So early?" Brigitta questioned confusedly.

"Ahh…I just don't feel very well. But it's nothing, don't worry." Maria assured, her comforting glance touching each of her daughters.

Liesl, Louisa and Brigitta exchanged an unsure glance. "Well, goodnight Mother!" Liesl hugged Maria, and her sisters followed. Maria was about to leave when she turned around.

"And girls, I'm here for you if you want to talk…about anything," Maria reminded, with a warm smile. "Goodnight!"

The girls nodded in unison. "Goodnight!" And as Maria closed the door, she was oblivious to the irony in her statement.


	3. Surprise

Thanks to Bellarsam Chrisjulittle for beta-ing this chapter :D

* * *

><p>Three days after Uncle Max's arrival, Louisa awoke earlier than she usually did. On any other day, she would've had the urge to stab someone in the eye, but today? She was happy to wake up early. Brigitta rustled in the bed next to her, a quiet, nasally snore filling the air, and Louisa suspiciously eyed the agape book on her nightstand. Her sister had mostly stayed up late reading, and wouldn't wake up until 10. Slowly pulling the sheets off of herself, Louisa slipped her feet into toasty slippers, careful not to wake a snoring Brigitta.<p>

She tip-toed over to the closet they shared, easily finding her riding uniform, which was in pristine condition. After changing into it, she braided her thick blonde hair, every now and then glancing at herself in the mirror to make sure she was doing it the way Liesl had taught her. Finally, she pulled her boots on carefully, and grabbed her gloves and hat. _I actually look nice today, _she thought, smiling at her reflection. Taking one last glimpse at her sister, she quietly walked into the hall, shutting the door softly behind her.

* * *

><p>"Max, we are not performing at your little garden concert," Georg said, a stern tone in his voice as he picked at his eggs benedict.<p>

"Not even the children? Lukas is performing, they wouldn't be alone." Max assured his friend. Georg looked past him to the lake impatiently. The gorgeous scenery distracted him from his perturbed thoughts, which was why he loved eating breakfast on the terrace. Why did Max always have to get on his last nerve, especially at the most perfect times?

A fitting chill filled the air and Georg became tired of his friend's bothersome pleads. "Max," he started icily, "You have horrible timing with your…invitations."

"What invitation?" Maria's pleasant voice filled the air as she strolled onto the terrace, Gracie trailing behind her. She took a seat next to her husband, gently touching the small of his back.

"Oh Maria!" Max exclaimed, "I was just telling Georg about an outdoor con-"

"Max, I said no," Georg retorted harshly, looking him in the eyes. Maria hated to see her husband in such a bad mood, especially when he was about to go riding.

"Go get him, Gracie," she whispered, pointing to Max with a giggle. The dog jumped on his lap, and Max tried to push her off, as Georg and Maria sat laughing.

Max gave them each a horrified face. "Do you two _like _seeing me be tortured?"

"Of course!" Georg exclaimed, a sarcastic smile on his face. Maria gave a hearty laugh, as Elise set her plate on the table.

"Thank you," she addressed the woman. "Bon appetit!"

* * *

><p>"Look, there's Brownie!" Louisa told her Father excitedly, pointing to the dark brown horse in its pen. Georg chuckled as his daughter ran over to her horse. He couldn't remember a time before Maria and after Agathe's death when he'd seen his children, especially Louisa, this happy.<p>

"He hasn't aged one bit!" Georg quipped, rubbing the horse's mane affectionately. Louisa giggled at her Father's comment as she watched Brownie nibble on a carrot. She mentally scolded herself for naming the horse Brownie when she was seven, but he was still beautiful with his velvety brown fur, and light-tinted mane, and she loved him, no matter what his name was.

Georg ambled over to his horse and began putting the bridle on. A few minutes later, both were on their horses, beginning their rides.  
>It was a lovely summer day, not at all rainy like the newspaper had said, and Georg was enjoying every bit of it. "Louisa, let's take this trail!" he called to his daughter, who was trotting a few steps away.<p>

"Alright!" Together, they trotted into the woods, Louisa trailing her father.

"Louisa, what do you think about Lukas?" Georg ventured suddenly, not looking his daughter in the eye. He instantly regretted the question, and silently scolded himself.

She was startled by the question, and slightly confused. Steering her horse to trot by her father's, she thought about him. _Lukas? Oh, the boy Liesl likes? That prideful idiot? Yes, he's lovely. But I promised I wouldn't tell…_

"Well, his pride makes me want to slap him and the way Uncle Max worships him is thoughtless." Louisa snorted, thinking about the disgusting boy.

Georg chuckled at his daughter's comment and nodded in agreement, though he had been hoping to gain something more from the question. _Perhaps some details on Liesl's interest in him would be nice, _he thought innocently. He glanced to Louisa, who was focusing intently on the trail ahead. Why couldn't all of his daughters be like her? Tomboyish, not interested in boys and disgusted by the ones they did encounter? It would be lovely.

Maria's chiding words suddenly appeared in his head: '_Darling, they just arrived! They don't even know each other! ',_ and he reprimanded himself for being shallow enough to pry Louisa for information about Liesl. Pushing the thought out of his head, he tried to enjoy the rest of the ride.  
>After riding until sunset, little drops of rain started to plop on their heads and they hurriedly headed back before it could thunder.<p>

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><p>Later, after dinner, Liesl decided to take a walk in the garden to think. Her mind wandered to Rolf as she walked past the gazebo, and all of the memories she'd shared with him. She thought she loved him, she thought she knew him. But it turned out that she didn't. What <em>did <em>she know? School was starting soon, and she was ready for the distraction. She also knew that there was a very handsome boy living in her house for the next few months; she was ready for that distraction, too. Clutching her diary tighter, she smiled at the ground.  
><em><br>I bet he doesn't even know I- _"Oof!" she exclaimed, as she bumped into something hard. Looking up from the ground, she saw what she'd run into. Or rather, who.

"Are you alright?" Lukas asked in a concerned voice, as he picked up her diary from the ground. Liesl brushed off her dress.

"I'm fine," she replied with a smile. He handed her the notebook, and she cherished the moment when their hands touched, even if was the littlest note of warmth.

"Thank you," came her gentle, soft voice.

The sun was beginning to fade, the sky blurring into a haze of pink, orange, and yellow. "It's a lovely night," Lukas commented, turning to face the lake. Liesl nodded in agreement, and she became fascinated by the sky as she went to stand by Lukas. He studied her; she was beautiful.

Her slightly curly brown hair was pulled together at the nape of her neck, and her peaceful smile made _him _smile. His brown eyes met her intriguing baby blues as she turned to him; he was captivated.

"What are you staring at?" she questioned, a suspicious smile on her face. He was caught uncharacteristically off-guard; however, he knew how to answer.

"Your beauty," he retorted simply. A lopsided grin danced on his lips as he bravely looked her in the eye. She beamed back at him; no boy had ever called her beautiful.

Suddenly, she ducked her head bashfully. This was a boy. A boy who would surely hurt her, just like Rolf had. She wasn't about to take her chances. "Thank you," she said curtly, the sweetness gone from her voice, and proceeded to walk towards the stone bench.

Lukas was confused. Was there something wrong with him, or something he had done wrong? He decided to pursue her, jogging after her, only stopping to walk once he was by her side.

"I'm Lukas," he introduced, holding out his hand with a high head.

Liesl lifted hers, a soft smile on her face, as she strolled. "I'm Liesl," she breathed. Her cold, clammy hand met his, and she glanced down at it, only to glance back to his perfect face. She could give him a chance, couldn't she?

He only nodded in response, his eyes smiling at her. "The moon is coming out."

"Lovely," Liesl commented thoughtlessly, as she stared at him in awe. Suddenly, she realized the horror, and started to panic. "T-the moon? What time is it?"

Lukas gave her a curious look, glancing down at his watch. "It's about nine. Why? Is something wrong?"

"The doors are locked at eight thirty," Liesl replied with a sad sigh, just as a drop of water smacked her head. "The rain!" she gasped, looking towards the sky. It had stormed earlier, but she hadn't expected it to rain again.

"The gazebo! Hurry!" Lukas exclaimed, motioning for Liesl to get up. Her eyes lit up as her hand met his once again. It began to rain harder, each drop smacking their heads as they ran, hand in hand, Liesl trailing her counterpart.

When they finally had reached the gazebo, Liesl collapsed onto the bench with a little laugh, as the coincidence struck her. "I can't believe…why does this always happen to me?"

"What do you mean?" Lukas asked inquisitively, sitting down beside her.

Liesl glanced around herself, her gaze landing on him as she said, "The rain...the gazebo…the boy. This has all happened before."

"So, you've courted before? You've…" Lukas gulped. "You've had a beau?"

Liesl nodded in response, and it was silent for a moment before she spoke. "It was lovely…but horrible. The way it ended, I mean."

"Wha-"

"We have to find a way to get inside," Liesl declared, interrupting him; she knew what he was about to ask and she didn't want to talk about it.

"Well, what did you do last time?" Lukas asked frankly, looking to her for an answer. All of a sudden, her eyes lit up and a smile appeared on her face.

"I'll climb into Mother's old room, you know, from when she was a governess, and unlock the front door!" she replied brightly, her blue eyes sparkling. Liesl determinedly stood up, and was about to walk towards the vine when Lukas grabbed her arm.

"Liesl…climb?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course! I've done it millions of times," she reassured with a silly smile.

A few minutes later, Lukas was watching her scale the wall. Worry irked him; what if she fell? What would he tell her father? "Be careful!" he called tentatively.

Liesl stopped mid-climb. _He cares about me. _"I'm fine!" A little smile danced on her face as she continued to climb. After she was inside the room, she leaned out the window and looked down at him with a teasing smile. "I'll meet you at the front door!"

Liesl flew out of the room, ran down the stairs and gasped for air as she opened the door, leaning against it tiredly. And there he stood with a calm smile on his face, waiting there expectantly. "Thanks," he offered, ambling in. Liesl closed the door, following him to the bottom of the stairs.

"I guess this is good night," she offered sadly.

"Well then, good night." A mischievous smile played on his face as he leaned into her. And then, just before he hurried up the stairs, he gave her a peck on the cheek. Liesl stood there for a few minutes after he had gone, awestruck of what had just happened. He'd…kissed her!

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><p>Keep reviewing! Next chapter coming up soon! (:<p> 


	4. Excitement

**Thanks so much to my beta, Bellarsam Chrisjulittle! This is by far, the most eventful,** **exciting chapter, but there are more chapters to come! I appreciate the reviews very much!**

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><p>Georg woke up the next morning to a distant sound, though it was one he couldn't exactly identify. He rolled over to Maria's side of the bed, eyes still closed. "Maria," he whispered groggily. No answer. "Maria?" He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes wearily, glancing towards the empty space next to him. His eyes sprang open as he realized that his wife was, in fact, not next to him.<p>

The room was dark, the curtains not yet opened, and he instantly noticed a light peering out from under the closed bathroom door. And there was the sound again, coming from the bathroom. He leapt from the bed, alarmed and worried about the noise, and strided towards the door. "Maria!" he called, banging on the door.

"Georg," Maria's voice choked, "Don't come in here!" Georg immediately knew something was wrong; the tone in his wife's voice was forced and stressed. He barged into the room, without a thought, to see Maria leaned over the bowl. "Georg!" she gasped, vomit spewing from her mouth.

He knew he recognized the sound – the sound of regurgitation. He remembered those sleepless nights when Agathe would throw up until sunrise. But that was when she was…no, Maria couldn't be! Pushing the thought to the back of his brain, he knelt beside his wife with a wet towel. "Maria, how did this happen?" he asked calmly, while he pressed it to her forehead.

"I don't…I don't know!" she exclaimed, between expulsions. "Food poisoning, maybe?"

"Calm down, love. It's going to be okay," Georg reassured his wife, as he got up to get a new towel. However, he couldn't keep his first thought tamed: _could Maria be…pregnant?_

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><p>Frau Schmidt opened the door to Liesl's room, only to see that the girl was still peacefully sleeping. <em>Ahh, I'll have to put the sheets on later, <em>she thought to herself, turning towards the door. Suddenly, there was a mild crunching noise beneath her feet. It was a piece of paper, one that was neat and had writing on it. Picking it up, she was tempted to read it, but knew she shouldn't; this was her employer's daughter, after all. She heard a rustle behind her, then a yawn.

"Good morning, Frau Schmidt," Liesl greeted tiredly, stretching her arms out above her. She glanced towards the window; the curtains shut, and then gazed towards the housekeeper. "What's that in your hand?" she questioned curiously, noticing the paper she held.

"A note; someone slipped it under your door during the night," Frau Schmidt replied warmly, handing it to the girl. Liesl suddenly became excited, a happy grin appearing on her face.

"A note? For me?" An eager happiness filled up inside of her as she snatched the note, reading it over. First there was a cute little drawing of a boat, then a question:  
><em><br>Boat ride after breakfast?  
>- Lukas<em>

Butterflies swarmed inside of her, and she smiled at the note. "A boat ride," she whispered dreamily. Suddenly, her gaze snapped to Frau Schmidt. "Please don't tell Mother and Father! Please!" she begged, clasping her hands together in desperation. Frau Schmidt could only chuckle at the girl's nervousness, however she was confused about why she wouldn't want her mother to know – Maria was one of the kindest, most understanding people she knew. The Captain, on the other hand, she understood.

"Of course not, dear. I'll be back later to put the sheets on!" she replied, as she began to walk out of the room. Liesl fell onto her bed distantly – she was in another world, dreaming of how her afternoon would play out – worrying, was more like it. How would she avoid her parents? She thought back to what Brigitta had said about telling Mother; it sounded like a better idea now, even if it was only for Mother to distract Father from going outside.

Liesl jumped suddenly, as there was an unexpected knock on the door. "Liesl, may I come in?" Maria's voice questioned. Liesl smiled to herself; this was her opportunity.

"Of course, Mother!" she called, placing the note under her pillow for the moment before the door opened.

"Good morning, darling," Maria greeted with a smile, noticing her daughter's happy grin. "Has something happened?"

"Mother," Liesl started hesitantly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, what is it?" She took a seat next to her eldest daughter curiously.

Liesl pulled the note from under the pillow, and silently handed it to her Mother. Maria read the note with a soft smile. _I knew this was coming, _she thought to herself, glancing at a blushing Liesl.

"Darling, it's okay. I'm not going to judge you," she stated softly. "Whatever we talk about is between you and me." Liesl looked up to meet her mother's eyes. How could she have been so foolish; this was her _Mother._She could tell her anything.

"But, what about Father?"

"It's alright, he's too busy worrying about the party Max made him have," Maria replied, with a knowing chuckle.

Liesl's eyes widened. "Party?" She had always loved when her Father threw parties, even if she couldn't attend them. Watching the women twirl around in gorgeous dresses and the handsome men chat about politics and world issues made her eager to debut in society.

"Oh yes, your father wanted you and I to get fitted for dresses today, but I can see you have plans," Maria smiled, holding up the note with a wink. "So, we can go tomorrow."

Liesl beamed at her mother appreciatively. "Thank you," she paused to think. "Do you think Lukas really likes me?"

"How could he not?" Maria gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead before walking out of the room. "And I'll do my best to keep your Father inside," she added with a reassuring smile.  
><em><br>This afternoon is going to go perfectly, _Liesl thought dreamily before getting ready for breakfast.

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><p>After breakfast, Liesl tried to appear calm as she hurried outside to meet Lukas. She had spent all morning meeting his mischievous gaze, exchanging smiles, and thinking of his face, even though it was right there, across from her. Upon slowly opening the doors, she noticed a man's figure standing by the gate to the lake. <em>It must be him, <em>she thought to herself with a smile as she descended the stairs towards him. Luckily, he hadn't noticed her yet, and she smoothed out her dress before announcing her presence.

"Well, hello there," she greeted happily. Lukas whipped around to see the beautiful girl he had encountered the night before.

"You came," he breathed, a glad grin on his lips.

"Of course I came! Why wouldn't I?" Liesl questioned confusedly, meeting the boy's eye.

"It's just…I was hoping I didn't scare you away." His tone became unusually timid, as he stared at his shoes.

"You could never scare me away," Liesl replied softly. She barely knew the boy, but over the few days he'd stayed at their home, she'd observed and studied his actions and words, like at dinner when he'd spoken up to her father or when he had told her to be careful while climbing the wall. These small things told her more about his personality than anything else.

Their gazes met again, and they grinned at each other, as Lukas opened the gate. "Ready?" he questioned, holding out his hand, a playful look on his face.

Liesl nodded, taking the boy's hand and stepping into the long and narrow boat. After closing the gate, he, too, entered the boat to sit across from her.

Liesl giggled a little, glancing around her. "This has happened before, too. Except, last time, we fell into the water…" She explained the story to Lukas, his captivated ears focused on every part. When Liesl had finished, he laughed out loud.

"Ah yes, I remember reading about your parents' marriage in the paper. 'Decorated sea captain marries postulant'," he began, with a roll of his eyes. "The paper always over exaggerates everything; though I can see that they really do love each other." He began steering the boat away from the terrace, rowing them to the middle of the lake. Liesl nodded thoughtfully; if only she, too, could have a love like her parents…

"My mother really did save my family, though," Liesl replied airily, as she glanced to the house, a soft, grateful smile on her face.  
>Lukas was suddenly curious. "Save?" he questioned interestedly. How could her family have possibly been saved? He could picture how much better it would be with the Baroness around, but what was Liesl's life like before she had arrived? He knew her birth mother had died – did that have anything to do with it?<p>

Liesl nodded before beginning the story of her life after her mother's death, with a few interjections or questions from her counterpart. She was hesitant to tell this part of the story, but she knew he would listen, not judge.

"That sounded like it was fun," he remarked sincerely after she'd told him about her father's bland treatment of her, and her brothers and sisters.

"Oh, you have no idea," she replied matter-of-factly. Little did she know that he did, in fact, know how it felt to be shut out by a loved one; he just wasn't ready to tell her.

She continued with where she left off; Fraulein Maria's, now her Mother, arrival. He noticed the reminiscent smile on her face throughout this part of the story, the eager, excited tone in her voice as she talked about her parent's love, as if she was ready to find a love of her own, and it made him grin for her.

"W-why are you smiling?" Her pleasant voice interrupted his thoughts, and he answered honestly.

"You just seem so happy," he answered, a smile on his face, "And it makes me happy."

She glanced down bashfully – why did he always have to be so honest about his feelings? Glancing up again, there he was, still beaming at her. Their eyes met and her feelings collided inside of her like ocean waves; he was looking at her. He took her hand gently, romantically. She gaped at the gesture for a few minutes, though it put her at ease; he wanted to take it slow, like her. The air was silent for a moment, and a silent breeze wafted through the boat pleasantly.

"I wonder what would happen if _we_fell out of this boat…" he wondered aloud playfully, breaking the anxious stillness between them.

Liesl laughed happily. "That would be wonderful!" she exclaimed, with a tone of mock-excitement. Lukas chuckled at the remark, a smile on his face to match Liesl's.

"So anyways, I packed a picnic and luckily the cook let me steal a few pieces of bread." There was a twinkle in his eye as he talked, and she liked it; it made her happy to see him happy.

"Lovely," she mused, gazing at the perfect world around her. The afternoon really was going to go perfectly.

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><p>It was a gorgeous day outside as Georg stepped onto the terrace, his uninterested mood instantly brightened by the picture before him. Max was sitting next to Maria, while she held a giggling Marta in her lap. Gretl was sitting on the ground next to the table, playing with Gracie. He remembered the day when they'd purchased the dog. Maria had led him into the little pet store off of Otto Avenue, while they were in town one day. He had always passed by the store before, though this time, he was willing to go in, for her. She quickly became attached to the large Bernese in the corner, much to his uncertainty. To further the attachment, the owner then came over and began telling the history of the dog; how it was an orphan and how its parents had died in a car accident with their owners.<p>

His wife had then nuzzled it against her chest so that both sets of eyes were peering up at him beseechingly. How could he have said no to that? His children would've loved it, and his wife already did, so naturally he purchased dog, along with a leash and some food for it after the owner hurriedly explained all of its needs, careful not to overwhelm them or make them think twice. He remembered the excitement in his children's voices after they'd brought Gracie home, which had made him smile.

He chuckled at the memory, silently admitting to himself that it _was_rather pleasant having the dog around. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by his youngest.

"Oh, Father!" Gretl beckoned in a dire tone, from her spot on the ground. "Look! Gracie is sick!" He strided over to the dog and knelt down next to her. Upon inspecting the dog for any bumps or bruises, he gave Gretl a silly look.

"Darling, she's fine. She just needs some rest, that's all," he comforted softly, lifting little Gretl into his arms with a peck on the forehead. He carried her over to the table where Max and Maria were, placed her in a chair before sitting down himself next to his wife.

"Good afternoon, dear," Maria greeted cheerfully. Max poured Georg a glass of pink lemonade, and handed it to his friend.

"Max, I thought you didn't like _pink _lemonade," Georg teased. He aimed the wicked, lopsided smile on his face towards his friend, as he took a sip of the sweet drink.

Max shrugged. "Well, Georg, it's grown on me. I've now decided, that I do, in fact, like pink lemonade." The drama of the statement only made the little girls giggle, and Georg chuckled along with them.

"Elise made a batch especially for Marta," Maria added informatively, beaming down at the girl in her lap. Of course, pink was Marta's favorite color, and everyone knew it.

"Hmm, well, isn't that special," Georg commented, playfully tapping his daughter on the nose. Marta giggled in response, snuggling her head into her mother's chest shyly. Maria ruffled her daughter's brown hair thoughtfully.

"Isn't there something you'd like to tell your father, Marta?" Maria reminded with a glance towards her husband.

"I'm going to take dance lessons, Father!" Marta burst out gleefully.

Georg gave his daughter a mock-curious glance. "Is that so?" he questioned, just as footsteps were heard behind them.

"Marta, come on!" Friedrich urged, as Kurt wheeled a bicycle up to the table. Marta gave them a shy look, then bashfully looked into her lap.

"Aw, Marta, don't be scared. It's just a bicycle," Kurt insisted, with a glance towards Uncle Max, motioning him to help convince the girl it wasn't scary.

"What are you boys up to?" Georg questioned suspiciously.

"We're going to teach Marta to ride a bike," Friedrich responded enthusiastically. Behind him, Kurt began to ride across the terrace. Max chuckled at the scene, glancing at the little girl.

"See look, Marta, it's easy!" Kurt exclaimed eagerly.

Marta perked up at this, sliding off her mother's lap. "Can I try?" she questioned, eying the cute blue bike.

"Come on, let's go to the garden," Friedrich called, leading his two siblings down the steps. Gretl scampered after them, before Maria told them to be careful.

"So Georg, how is the party planning going?" Max pestered lightheartedly, taking a sip of his drink.

Georg groaned at the question; he, like every other Austrian aristocrat, loved parties, however Max's usual nagging did not put him in a good mood. He'd already spent the better half of the day in his study, writing and addressing invitations. "It's going well, Max," he answered patiently, gazing past his friend to the lake.

"Well, who did you invite this time? The Ambassador of Britain? Baron Eberhardt? Elsa, maybe?" Max pressed, leaning forward in his chair.

Georg was put on edge by the latter. "Why on _earth_would I invite Elsa?" he gritted, as he glanced towards an uncomfortable Maria.

Elsa was her husband's ex-fiancé, though she didn't mind having her at the party. She, Max and Georg would be the only people she knew, and that scared her. Her stomach churned at the prospect of having to socialize with all her husband's high-class friends; she had taken peeks at the articles in the society section in the newspaper that Georg had removed just for her own sanity, and most of them were about their marriage. The gossip was horrid; some people even assumed that Georg had _seduced _her! It was a ridiculous topic, and why was it in the paper again? She had no idea, but from then on, she had vowed to ignore the society section and all the gossip that came with it.

"For me, of course! I'll need a dinner partner, and someone to dance with!" Max exclaimed straightforwardly. Georg rolled his eyes at this – when had Max ever danced? Glancing towards Maria, she was nodding in agreement.

"Georg, its fine," Maria reassured, seeing the uncertain look on her husband's face.

"It's settled, then! Elsa is invited!" Max declared, before Georg could get a word in. "Now, who else can we invite…?" Max stroked his chin thoughtfully. They all thought for a moment, before Maria came up with an idea.

"Max, we must invite Lukas; he could perform a piece, maybe?" Maria requested with a smile. There was one more person she knew. Max's face lit up at the proposition, the opposite of Georg's face.

"Absolutely not," Georg dictated, while Max burst out cheerfully, "Wonderful idea! That's marvelous! The guests will love it, Georg!" Georg groaned again; he disliked the boy, though both Maria and Max were against him again on this one.

"Please, darling," Maria pleaded. "Just this once." Georg didn't see why his wife was so keen on the boy, though he gave in with a grumble.

"Fine, fine," he waved away the thought quickly, though it still lingered in the air as Max celebrated this victory.

"Perfect! Perfect! He'll perform the new piece he wrote, one inspired by Beethoven and Bach. You'll both like it, surely," he rambled animatedly, an excited tone in his voice.

"Oh, I'm sure we will, Max," Georg commented gruffly, as he poured himself another glass of lemonade.

"And Georg," Max continued annoyingly, "When are you going to let Liesl attend one of your parties? She certainly needs to debut in society sometime this year."

Georg laughed mockingly at this request. He surely would not let his silly friend tell him how to raise his children. "Absolutely out of the question," he replied firmly. His eldest daughter was only sixteen, and stunning at that. In the next year or so, she would undoubtedly have boys chasing her around, which made him nervous.

"Oh, Georg…," Maria complained tiredly. "Let Liesl be a woman, for once. She'd be a wonderful companion for someone who doesn't know anyone," she added, referring to herself. Max nodded in agreement.

His wife however, he couldn't defy. She made a point, after all; Maria _didn't _know anyone, which he felt guilty about. He would surely have to chat about boring politics with diplomats and barons, and if having Liesl there would bring her comfort, then so be it.

With a sigh, he gave in. "If it would bring you comfort, my dear, of course." He made a mental note not to invite any teenage boys to the party.

Maria gave him a grateful smile, before standing up. "Thank you, darling. It means a lot to me." She pecked him on the cheek. "I'm going inside; would you two like to join me?" She had almost completely forgotten about Liesl's boat ride rendezvous on the lake. The men began to nod, before a scream rang out across the yard.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading this chapter! Reviews are welcome, and there are more chapters to come so stay tuned!<strong>


	5. Preparations

**Thanks tons to my beta Bellarsam Chrisjulittle! Also, thank you to those who review! It really means alot to me :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Sail On' by Max Schneider.**

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><p>Georg instantly stood in response to the scream. It was a little girl's voice that was for the sure – it had to be Marta or Gretl. They were, of course, in the garden, but where in the garden? Where?<p>

"Georg…"Maria's voice trailed off in a panic. Friedrich came hurriedly running towards the group, his face a picture of fright.

"Father…Marta…arm," he panted rapidly, gesturing towards the garden.

"My boy, what are you trying to say?" Max questioned, standing up next to Georg.

"Just…come! Come on! Hurry!" he spat, waving for them to follow him as he ran back into the garden. Georg glanced at a nervous Max and Maria before sprinting off to catch up with his son.

"Friedrich," he called urgently, as the boy turned a corner. As he rounded the corner, he saw the scene of the accident. There, amidst all the flora and greenery, Marta lied on the concrete walkway. Louisa and Brigitta had appeared, and were kneeling by their sobbing sister, in hopes of comforting her. Friedrich rushed to stand by Kurt and Gretl, motioning for their Father to hurry up. "What happened?" he asked hastily, kneeling next to Marta. That was the second time that day he'd asked the damned question. _My family is falling apart, _he thought humorously, though he knew it was hardly the time to be joking.

"We thought she was ready to ride on her own, so we let her go and the bike tipped over and her arm…she says it hurts," Friedrich replied guiltily, staring at the ground. "I'm sorry, Father, it's all our fault." He was ashamed, as he was the one who wanted Marta to ride the bike in the first place.

"It's alright, son," Georg murmured, turning to his daughter. "Marta, where does it hurt?"

"M-my arm," she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. Louisa and Brigitta went to stand by their siblings, as Georg lifted her into his arms.

"It's going to be alright, darling," Georg muttered to his daughter, hope instilled in his voice. "Friedrich," he barked, "Go and call the doctor!"

Friedrich grinned at the order eagerly. _I still have Father's trust, _he thought as he dashed past a frenzied Maria and too-serene Max.

"Is everything all right?" Maria asked, worry evident in her voice.

Brigitta touched her mother's arm softly. "Mother, it's okay. It's just Marta's arm," Brigitta reassured. Louisa nodded in agreement, behind her.

"Really, Mother, who needs an arm?" Louisa mocked her younger sister playfully. Brigitta rolled her eyes, while Maria could only force a laugh at the joke before she sprang towards Georg.

"Marta, darling, are you all right?" she asked fearfully, as she brushed the girl's dark hair out of her eyes. Tears stained the girl's face, though she was no longer crying.

"Friedrich is phoning the doctor, love. It's going to be okay," Georg replied gently. Was it just him or did Maria seem a little too upset?

Usually she would be the calm, controlled one in these kinds of situations. _I'll talk to her about it later, _he thought, walking away from the group behind him, Marta in his arms.

Brigitta strolled by her father, while the rest of her siblings strolled by Maria. She, too, had noticed her mother's strange behavior; ordinarily, she would've have made everyone laugh, but it seemed that she was too hysterical too do that.

"Ahh, well, I think it's time for lunch anyways!" Uncle Max exclaimed, a little too cheerily.

Kurt nodded in agreement. "I'm _starved_!" Georg glanced back at his family with a chuckle, though his wife still seemed frantic. What was wrong?

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><p>Liesl exited the boat hurriedly, with help from the blonde boy stepping out behind her. "What do you think happened?" Lukas asked, peering into the garden. The girl beside him could only smooth her dress out anxiously; <em>no one<em> could be suspicious of her boat ride with Lukas. They had to look as casual as possible.

"I'm…I'm not sure, but it sounded like Marta or Gretl. Friedrich probably put them up to something," she replied grimly. What had she been doing on a boat ride with some random boy, while her sisters were off getting hurt somewhere?

"Listen, I'm sure everything is all right…" Lukas reassured steadily. Liesl raised an eyebrow and glared at him with piercing blue eyes.

"Lukas," she began, "One of my sisters is obviously hurt. It is _not_ fine and-"

He grabbed her hand, cutting her off. "Liesl, calm down. You don't even know what's happened yet!"

His voice immediately calmed her, a soft smile appearing on her lips as she nodded in submission. Suddenly, voices appeared in the near distance, and Liesl ripped her hand out of his. She gave him knowing glance, and he could only roll his eyes playfully in return.

"Liesl! Liesl!" Gretl called, as she raced towards her older sister. "Marta hurt her arm!" Liesl bent down to give Gretl a comforting hug.

"What happened?" she questioned, glancing towards her father, who was carrying Marta in his arms. His head was cocked to the side, a suspicious glare on his face; _he knows about us, _she thought worriedly. However, she noticed it was more to Lukas than to her.

"It seems that," his voice was grim as stared daggers at the boy; "My sons don't know how to control a bicycle." Liesl glanced up at Lukas worriedly, though his face showed no sign of trepidation.

Maria regarded the scene before her. _This is not going to be good, _she thought gravely. She'd completely forgotten about Liesl's meeting with Lukas, her stomach was growling, and Marta's arm was hurt. This was not going to be a good day, unless she stepped in. "Georg." Her voice was testy, dangerous – she knew what he was going to do.

Georg ignored his wife's warning; he was much more focused on the scene in front of him. "Max, take Marta upstairs. Children, go wash up for lunch." He glared at the boy, as he passed Marta to his friend. Max gave Lukas a warning glance, his eyes silently pleading for him not to say anything stupid. Liesl slowly stood up as Gretl ran away from her to catch up with Uncle Max, who led the children inside. Brigitta glanced back at her older sister with knowing eyes before entering the house and closing the door.

Four people were left on the terrace. Liesl stood behind Lukas, as if he was her shield. Georg eyed the couple suspiciously, while Maria hesitated behind him. "So, uh, what were you two doing out here while everybody else was in the garden?" he asked, an eyebrow raised questionably.

Lukas was the first to speak. He made eye contact with the Captain. "We were just getting to know each other, sir." His confident tone cut through the air, oblivious to Georg's anger.

"Mhmm…how so?" Georg pressed. If the boy was getting close or intimate with Liesl, he would have his head cut off.

"We went on a boat ride, father." Liesl responded, a hint of fear punctuating her voice. Maria noticed her daughter's unease, and felt a pang of guilt.

Georg narrowed his eyes at the statement. _A boat ride? _That was the best way possible to get close to her, and he didn't like it one bit.  
>"A boat ride!" he exclaimed angrily. Liesl only nodded guiltily. "Whose idea was this?"<p>

Lukas answered confidently again. "It was mine, sir." He wasn't ashamed at all; they had had a good time and what was so bad about that?

"Georg, it's all right." Maria put a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder. "I knew about it, and nothing happened." Her voice was too calm for the situation, and this angered him even more.

"So everyone but me knew!" Georg bellowed crossly.

"Georg! There's nothing wrong with going on a simple boat ride," Maria reasoned, as she stared into his eyes pointedly.

Georg could only glare at the three of them before he turned on his heel to go inside. Frustration overwhelmed him; he didn't feel like fighting anymore. There were too many things going on, and he had another daughter to worry about upstairs. Though, something irked him about the situation and he couldn't help but feel a tad betrayed by his wife who hadn't told him anything about it whatsoever. He stormed inside irritatedly, closing the door behind him.

Maria glanced at the couple before her. They looked lovely together, but she kept that thought to herself. Georg would most likely be grumpy for the rest of the day, though she didn't mind if it meant that her daughter could be happy. "I'm sorry, you two, I don't know what's gotten into him," she pondered, glancing towards the door thoughtfully.

"It's all right, Baroness. Thank you," Lukas replied gratefully.

"Lukas, call me Fraulein Maria," she said, waving the formal title away.

He nodded, a smile on his face. The pair followed Maria up the steps to the terrace. "Mother, do you think he'll be all right?" Liesl questioned, as her mother wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Of course, darling. I wouldn't worry about it," Maria reassured, though she knew Georg was hurt and angry about the situation. The three entered the house, and got ready for lunch quickly. Friedrich had announced that the doctor was coming soon, so they'd better eat.

* * *

><p>"It appears that the young lady has broken her arm," Doctor Klein announced as he faced the girl's parents.<p>

"But Mother," Marta sat up in her bed, visually wincing at the pain in her arm. "Will I still take dance lessons?" Maria gave her daughter a soft smile, before pulling the sheets over her body.

"Marta, how about we wait until your arm gets better?" she replied lightly. Marta's face was a picture of disappointment.

"I assure you, it will go by quickly – the four weeks, I mean," Doctor Klein commented distractedly while he rummaged through his kit.

"_Four weeks?" _Marta replied incredulously.

"Oh Marta, its only four weeks. When I broke my arm, it went by quickly, just like Doctor Klein said," Georg comforted, as he sat down on the bed.

Marta's eyes widened. "Father, you broke your arm?"

"When I was younger, of course! Why, I've broken about…" Georg began to count on his fingers for dramatic effect, landing on the last finger.

Marta gasped. "_Ten_?" Georg nodded in response, and began showing his daughter all the bones he'd broken in the past. Maria could only cover her mouth in attempt to stifle a giggle as she watched her husband from a distance. Georg glimpsed at his amused wife, a playful smile on his face.

"I do imagine your mother has also broken some bones," he added teasingly, a daring look aimed towards Maria.

She ambled towards the two, her arms crossed mysteriously. "Well, have you Mother?" Marta asked anxiously.

"Quite a few, actually," she grinned proudly. "Eleven." Georg's face was a picture of mock-jealously.

Marta giggled. "That's one more than Father!" Maria nodded enthusiastically, and the group began laughing. It seemed that Georg had momentarily forgotten about the earlier mishap, Maria thought as she glanced at her joyful husband.

Doctor Klein interrupted the moment, stepping into the circle with cloth and plaster in his hands. "I'll put a cast on Marta's arm and be back next Saturday for a checkup," the gray-haired man noted smartly. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Captain?"

Georg's thoughts reverted back to that morning – Maria's violent nausea. Maybe they should have it checked out… Though, with one glance at his wife, she knew what he was thinking and was telling him no. "Not at the moment," he muttered, though the hidden meaning was only known to his wife. Their eyes met and she subtly shook her head as Doctor Klein dressed Marta's arm; they'd wait until it became serious. It was just food poisoning, after all.

* * *

><p>"Oh, and if we dance!" Liesl rambled excitedly as she stood on the platform in the dressmaker's shop. Maria and Brigitta exchanged a glance of exasperation; after Maria had told Liesl she was invited to the party, all she had talked about was how amazing it would be. Brigitta began to envy Louisa, who had chosen to stay home out of disinterest in dresses. "And I know Father wouldn't like it but-"<p>

"Liesl, didn't you see how he looked at you yesterday? He was boiling mad!" Brigitta interrupted pointedly. Maria nodded in agreement – for she knew how Georg would react if he saw Liesl and Lukas _dancing, _or even talking, at the party.

"Yes, it will be even worse if you dance," Maria added distractedly. She had too much on her mind; she'd thrown up again that morning, much to Georg's alarm. He had wanted to call the doctor, but she protested against the idea, using her fear of doctors as an excuse. Eventually, he'd given in, but not before she promised to see one if the vomiting got serious, and she'd agreed reluctantly. Of course, Maria knew that her husband was only trying to protect her, but life was going so perfectly, and she didn't want to mess it up.

Brigitta looked up from her book. "Mother, are you alright? You seem tired…" she questioned curiously. Sitting next to her mother on the chaise lounge in front of Liesl, she could almost see her drifting away in thought.

Maria was flustered by the question, however she pulled herself together. "Oh, I'm fine, darling," she reassured her daughter as she ran a hand through her short hair wearily.

Brigitta could tell something was wrong with her mother, though she kept it to there was a gasp from her sister.

"Oh! It's beautiful!" Liesl exclaimed, examining the dress in the three-way mirror. "It's perfect!" The dress was a long, light pink ball gown with gold flowers and leaves all over that was belted in the middle and held up by thin straps.

"How lovely!" Though she usually wasn't one for fancy things, Maria was in awe of the dress, as was Brigitta as they both stood up to get a better look.

"Liesl, you look gorgeous!" Brigitta remarked eagerly, "Lukas will practically _die _when he sees you in that." Thoughts of Lukas's reaction to her at the party fluttered in Liesl's head, and a smile danced on her lips.

"Thank you," she replied happily, twirling around in the dress freely, much to the dressmaker's disdain.

"Your dresses will be ready next Tuesday," Frau Schneider noted to Maria, as she ushered Liesl into the dressing room hurriedly.  
>Maria nodded absently, as that was not the least of her worries.<p>

* * *

><p>"Herr Detweiler, you <em>do <em>realize that this piece is meant for two people, don't you?" Lukas waved the sheet music in his mentor's face pointedly, a tired look on his face. The two had been cooped up in the ballroom all day, and frankly he was getting tired of the old house, not to mention, practicing music. He knew the few pieces well enough, so why was it that the old impresario insisted he trained every day until the party?

Max paced past the piano. "Ahh, well, we'll save that piece for later, my dear boy," he replied with a wink and a devilish grin.  
>Lukas could only roll his eyes at Max's reference to his relationship with the Captain's daughter, something even he could not explain. It was something he didn't want to discuss, especially with silly, old Herr Detweiler. Was <em>nothing <em>private in this household? He guessed not.

"Oh, come on now, you didn't think I'd let you run off to a romance when we have a performance to worry about!" Max exclaimed skeptically as he skimmed through a pile of sheet music. "Especially a romance with _her,_" he added ominously.

Lukas stood up from the piano bench curiously, his interest piqued. "What do you mean?"

Max avoided eye contact with the boy. "You're an attractive boy, go find love with someone else's daughter," he replied gruffly, continuing to peruse through the piles that sat on the piano.

"So, it's the Captain. Not her," Lukas stated dully. Of course he was relieved there wasn't some tragic thing that Liesl had done in her past, but if her father was a roadblock in their relationship, that wasn't exactly good news either.

"Of course it is! Liesl is a lovely girl, and I would encourage your relationship if it wasn't for her Father and this party," Max exclaimed, frustration in his voice.

"But how is the Captain different from any other father?" Lukas asked innocently. Max had the urge to laugh at the question, but he knew the boy was genuinely curious.

"Liesl is his little girl, you see, and I don't think he can let the fact that he missed out on her childhood completely, go. Nor can he let her go," Max stated forlornly. "Take my advice, please? If only for my sanity?" Their eyes met, Max's serious and Lukas's hesitating.

Finally, Lukas gave a reassuring nod, even if he didn't one hundred mean it. "There's my boy!" Max exclaimed enthusiastically, as he clapped the boy on the back happily. "Now, which piece next? Hmm..."

Lukas instantly knew which piece would fit the situation perfectly. "'Sail On'," he answered firmly, grabbing the sheet music from the pile.

* * *

><p>"Louisa, why can't <em>somebody else <em>be it?" Kurt whined as he and his siblings marched down the stairs into the foyer. They had been playing hide and seek for about an hour, and every time Louisa had been the last one found.

"Because I won last time!" Louisa shot back heatedly. "So obviously, I get to be it. When somebody else wins, somebody else can be it!" Friedrich and Kurt exchanged an annoyed glance.

Kurt crossed his arms and turned away from his sister. "Fine, I don't want to play anymore!" Friedrich nodded in agreement.

Louisa rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "Please, you two are being such babies. I can't help that I win at everything," she replied smugly.

"But you lost at the spelling bee in fifth grade," Gretl commented harmlessly, resulting in laughs from the boys.

"That isn't fair!" she shouted irritatedly. "How was _I _supposed to know how to spell horizon?" The boys only laughed louder at this.

"Even _Gretl _knows how to spell horizon!" Friedrich exclaimed incredulously. "Don't you, Gretl?" Gretl only responded with an innocent shake of her head.

"See?" Louisa contested loudly with a wicked smile. "I'm not the only one!"

Marta tugged on her older sister's dress. "Can we go pick flowers?" she asked

"No, we are _playing hide and seek_!" Louisa yelled, more towards her brothers than her sister. "And you're going to like it!"

"What on earth is going on out here?" The children only became louder as they heard their father step out of his study. As he attempted to hear each side of the argument, the front door opened; though only he noticed his wife and daughters enter the house, their faces bewildered by the argument in front of them.

Maria, Liesl and Brigitta approached Georg confusedly. "So this is how you handle the house when I'm away," Maria teased quietly into her husband's ear.

"O-ho! I just stepped onto the scene myself," Georg replied with an amused smile as he watched his children bicker.

Brigitta ignored the ruckus behind her, wondering to the ballroom doors. Was that…music? She pressed her ear to the door in hopes of finding out. "Be quiet, everybody!" she suddenly hissed to the rest of her family. The commotion behind her calmed down, as everyone began to notice what she had.

"Who…who is singing?" Liesl questioned, as she made her way towards the door interestedly. One name repeated itself in her head: _Lukas_. She suspected it was him, though she kept it to herself out of fear of angering her Father. Soon all of the children had their ears pressed to the door in curiosity. Maria and Georg exchanged a glance of confusion, as their daughter's question echoed in their head.

"Mother, who-" Gretl began to ask before Maria put a quieting hand on her daughter's head.

"Shhh, listen," she hushed gently, as she pressed her ear to the door, too. Georg watched his family, entranced by the music, and he was slightly annoyed, for he knew who was singing. It was the boy, Lukas, of course. However, there was the appealing sound of the baby grand and his voice, and he found himself, too, listening attentively.

_How can you break what's already been broken  
>Take what was given long ago<br>Crush the existence but expand on the persistence of  
>Failure<br>Catch your breath and take it slow  
>Failure is normal and I do what is too formal<br>So go, sail on…  
>The sound of the piano,<br>Floating under the soprano,  
>As she sings the final notes,<br>Like the waves beneath the boats,  
>As they set sail for shore,<br>And thunder starts to roar,_  
><em>As the Sailors hit the floor,<br>And yet there's still more,  
>Before the violins set tones,<br>Because it's all blow from drums being found,  
>And the Vibrations all around start to fall and hit the ground,<br>As the music gently drifts,  
>The moon highly lifts,<br>As the eyes of many close in pleasure,  
>The power of music has no measure,<br>And the genuine sound of the moon,  
>Standing still like a wall,<br>And now the room once filled with violence has left to hear but silence.  
>Catch your breath and take it slow…failure is normal and I do what is too formal so go, sail on…sail on…sail on….sail on….<em>

His voice was smooth and perfect, and Liesl pulled away from the door longing to hear more. The family heard Max's thunderous applause when the song had finished. "Lovely, lovely!" came his enthusiastic voice from inside the room.

Suddenly, a sneeze erupted from Gretl's nose, giving away the group of spies. The door burst open to reveal an angry Max. "You…nine!" he exclaimed awkwardly, as he had to mentally count the family. They could hear Lukas chuckling in the background.

"Max, this is my house, after all," Georg defended calmly. The children all audibly agreed as they peered into the room curiously.

"Well, _this_," Max gestured into the room pointedly, "Is a closed practice."

Lukas suddenly appeared behind him, a smile on his face. "Herr Detweiler, it's _my _practice. They can listen if they'd like." He opened the door, holding it for the family to file in, if only to exchange a gaze with the girl. Liesl gave Lukas a soft, knowing smile and took a seat next to her Father on the couch as the boy began to play another beautiful, perfect piece of music on the baby grand piano.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Please review! :)<strong>


	6. Moments

**Thanks so much to my beta Bellarsam Chrisjulittle!** **Also, thank you to everyone who has reviewed - I really appreciate it :)**

* * *

><p>The house was quieter than usual on that rainy Saturday, something that Georg found very refreshing compared to the typical frenzied household that consisted of his children happily plotting activities for the day, he and Maria tagging along with them. Today seemed like it would be more low-key, a day of rest, which was certainly needed.<p>

He stood in the main entrance hall, lost in thought. Summer was almost over, much to his dismay, and his children would be going back to school in a week. Of course, he was thankful that he had gotten to know them again, but he wanted to spend more time with them. All day, was more like it. A wonderful idea came to him suddenly; _a picnic,_ he thought cheerfully.

"Georg!" a gleeful voice greeted from behind. He whipped around to see Maria gliding out from the kitchen, a bright smile on her lips.

She was wearing that blue dress, his favorite color on her. Not to mention, his favorite dress.

"Maria," Georg replied happily. He embraced her, as they shared a kiss for a moment or two, before he pulled her away from him, so that he could look at her. "How are you feeling?"

Maria gave her husband an exasperated look. "Perfectly fine, darling." Of course, she might have felt a little tired, though she was determined not to make a big deal of it – it was only a stomach virus, food poisoning maybe? Whatever it was, it would blow over soon, she was sure of it.

"Mhmm," he muttered, more to himself than her. He disliked how she tried to cover it up, when it was really a big deal and he was worried.

"But let's not talk about this now; we must talk about the party!" Maria replied excitedly. Georg didn't quite understand why his wife was so excited about the fete, as he was having second thoughts himself.

"Remind me, darling, why did we decide to have this party again?" he sighed. The pair slowly walked towards the sitting room in the back of the house.

"Because Max persuaded-"

"_Persuaded?_ O-ho! I do believe I was _forced_ to throw a party by that man," Georg chuckled playfully.

"Oh, Georg..." She turned to look him the eyes. "Try to enjoy yourself? For me?"

He gave his wife a sincere look. "Of course I will, I'll be with you, Max…" At that moment, there was an outburst from the sitting room:  
>"Don't you dare make me look like an old man, Louisa!" Of course, it was Max's over-the-top, gravelly voice. Georg could only chuckle at the exclamation before leading Maria to the sitting room.<p>

Their children were crowded around Louisa eagerly, peering over her shoulder at the painting before her. _So they found the old easel, _  
>Georg thought amusedly. <em>And they decided to paint Max, of all people.<br>_  
>"You made his nose too big!" Brigitta exclaimed pointedly, as she gazed past the easel towards her uncle, who was seated on the couch in front of them.<p>

Louisa rolled her eyes. "Oh hush, it looks fine! Stay still, Uncle Max!"

"His hair is more gray, than black!" Kurt pointed out, aiming a silly grin towards his uncle.

Max gave a mock-angered glare towards his nephew. Maria attempted to hide a soft laugh, and Georg couldn't help but chuckle. Suddenly, his children noticed their parent's presence.

"Oh, Father! How do you think it looks?" Liesl called cheerfully.

"Uncle Max, stay still!" Louisa barked bossily. Georg and Maria made their way towards the painting, and it was at that moment that Georg noticed Lukas sitting in a chair, in the back of the room, observing the scene.

Liesl followed her father's gaze – scold was more like it – to Lukas. "Father?"

Georg was caught off-guard, his scrutiny more towards the boy than the painting. "Hm?" He quickly snapped his stare towards the easel. "Oh, it's wonderful!" Louisa had in fact, painted a very precise portrait of her uncle, something Georg was in awe of. "Louisa could quite possibly be the next great artist!" His daughter beamed at him in response before turning back to the easel.

Maria flicked her head to Lukas out of curiosity. _Why was he just sitting there, watching them? _He had a fascinated look on his face, an interested gaze as he rested his head on his hand. She impulsively pulled away from her husband's grip, and casually strolled towards him. "How are you enjoying your afternoon?" she questioned warmly with a smile, as she gestured to the commotion in front of them.

Lukas glanced up to find the Baroness sitting next to him. "Good, good...Your family is interesting." He rested his head on his hand again.

Her interest was piqued. "And why is that?"

Lukas glanced up again, and shrugged. "Well, my mother died when I was young and I was never really close to my family. Not that it's that big in the first place." He shrugged again, his face glazing over with curiosity.  
><em><br>'My mother died when I was young…' _Maria could only think of Liesl in that phrase – how they would relate to each other. "If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?" She kept her voice quiet and gentle, careful not to sound forceful.

He began with a sigh. "It was an illness-"

"Mother! How does it look?" Louisa called eagerly, as she took the painting from the easel and held it up for her to see. Maria noted Georg's curious stare towards her, most likely because she was sitting next to the one person he didn't like.

"It looks beautiful, darling! We'll have Frau Schmidt hang it up somewhere," she commented brightly before turning back to Lukas.  
>"Sorry, what were you-"<p>

"Lukas?" Liesl's soft voice spoke from across the room, "What do you think?"

Lukas looked up, their eyes meeting, and he smiled at her. "It's lovely."

"He didn't even look at the painting," Louisa muttered with a roll of her eyes, as she set the painting back on the easel. Georg would've chuckled at the observation, except that it wasn't funny how Lukas was staring at _his _daughter. There was a hushed snickering around him by the children, and he could feel the anger rising up inside of him, though he was determined not to act it.

Maria's eyes darted to her husband, whose intense eyes were focused on Lukas. She stood up, quickly striding over to stand behind him. "Children, why don't you go find Frau Schmidt?" she suggested cheerfully, resting a hand on Georg's shoulder protectively. The children filed out of the room, giggling playfully, while Liesl sauntered out of the room embarrassedly after them.

"Well, I suppose we should get back to practicing, Herr Detweiler," Lukas declared as he watched Liesl leave the room. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair thoughtfully before turning towards the man, who was still seated on the couch.

Max arched a suspicious eyebrow towards the boy. "Mm hmm…Say, what are your plans for the day?" he questioned Maria and Georg, upon standing up and stretching his arms.

Georg turned away from the question resolutely. "Party planning," he replied unpleasantly, but firmly before strolling into the foyer.  
>Max laughed loudly, oblivious to his friend's frustration. "Let's have a look at this painting…Good God!" Max exclaimed with another raucous guffaw. "Is this <em>really <em>what I look like?"

Maria left the two men politely to chat about the painting, following her husband into the main hall sympathetically. "Georg..." Her voice trailed off knowingly.

Suddenly, Gracie bounded up to her gleefully, her joyful 'bark' filling the room. Maria bent down to greet her with a smile, rubbing her soft fur. "Oh hello, there!"

Georg pivoted on his heel, only to find his wife being licked aggressively by their dog and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. Kneeling down next to them, he found that he, too, was loved as Gracie began licking him. Maria giggled, leaning her head on Georg's shoulder while Gracie calmed down a bit, and they began petting her coat (Georg, mock aggressively; Maria, softly) together.

"Oh, life is wonderful," Maria sighed contentedly, as Georg wrapped her in his arms.

"Mother, we couldn't find Frau Schmidt…" Liesl started, her voice trailing off as she noticed her parent's blissful moment. She didn't want to interrupt it, though her siblings trailed behind her. Motioning for them to turn around and leave, she heard her father stop them.

"Don't leave…in fact, I have an idea," Georg said, sitting up. Maria gave him a curious look as she lifted her head from his shoulder, the children turning around interestedly. "How about…we go on a picnic, next week?"

The children chorused 'yes' excitedly as they exclaimed ideas which Maria and Georg laughed at gleefully. Life _really _was wonderful on that rainy Saturday.

* * *

><p>"I guess we really should get rid of all this, shouldn't we?" Georg chuckled to his wife the next Sunday afternoon. They stood in the doorway of the storage room, in which they'd stored their numerous wedding presents. Any other normal couple would've gone through their presents long ago, but after they'd gotten home from their honeymoon, their children kept them busy with activities and such. So naturally, they'd assigned Max as the children's chaperone for the day and half-jokingly, half-seriously told no one to bother them.<p>

Maria gave him an about face. "We're going to look through all of them first, then _donate _what we don't want."

"I highly doubt we'll want any of it," he smirked, as he held up a tacky golden candelabrum.

"We could put that somewhere!" Maria exclaimed defensively, though weakly. She waded through the room optimistically, touching things here and there – a fancy, pearl necklace, an expensive looking Fabergé egg. Of course, everything in the room most likely cost a thousand dollars or more, which was overwhelming to someone who had been raised on a farm.

"Mhmm," Georg murmured dismissively, setting the item down. A riding suit caught his eye just as he heard a loud crash from the back of the room. Rushing towards his wife, he saw the cause of the commotion and he couldn't help but laugh.

Maria gasped at the…the thing in her hands – a piece of skimpy red, lace lingerie. Of course, she'd seen and worn lingerie before, but this kind took her by surprise.

"Well, I guess we're not keeping that," Georg quipped, glancing towards the remnants of a glass vase on the floor.

"Who would…?" She couldn't even finish the question, for she was in such disbelief. Glancing up, she noticed her husband's amused gaze.

"Monica, of course…" Georg mused expectedly.

Maria's face was a picture of confusion. "Who is Monica?"

"Agathe's sister. She is one of the most extravagant, showy people in Austria, so of course she would give you lingerie," he stated, a smug look on his face.

Maria wrinkled her nose as she set the object down delicately, as if it were a bomb. "We can't keep it."

"So, we'll donate it, then?" Georg questioned, with an amused grin.

Maria could only roll her eyes at the joke.

"Alright, we'll keep it for special occasions," Georg retorted with a devilish grin, as he skulked up behind her.

"Georg! Shhh," she scolded innocently, glancing towards the door in a way that suggested someone could have heard them.

"No one is going to hear us, trust me love," Georg quipped as he gave her a quick kiss on her neck.

After a few moments of rummaging through a small pile, she found something she would definitely keep. "A musical jewelry box!" she exclaimed gleefully. '_When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window – Love, Mother' _read the inscription on the outside, and Maria instantly knew who it was from – Mother Abbess.

"_When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window," _he read over her shoulder, a smile forming on his lips.

Maria turned towards him, her eyes focused on the inscription. "Our first kiss," she noted blissfully.

Georg only nodded in response, before he kissed her just as tenderly as he had that night.

When they pulled away, Maria glanced at the box, an idea coming to her. "I'll give it to Liesl!"

Georg nodded in agreement, a soft smile on his face. "She will love it, I'm sure! When various men shower her with luxurious jewelry, she can keep it there," he noted, his face glazing over nostalgically.

"Oh darling, you're always thinking of how men are going to sweep her away from us," she said softly. "Cherish the time you have with her now, don't worry about all of that."

As his wife moved onto the next pile, Georg thought about what she'd just said. It was the truth – he'd missed so much time with Liesl, and if all he did now was worry about her future suitors, then he'd miss out on even more time with her. However, when he thought about her so-called future suitors, one name came to mind: Lukas. And this was not a name he thought of fondly. Nevertheless, he wasn't about to complain about him to Maria yet, especially when they were going through their wedding gifts.

After an hour and a half of hunting for valuable items, Maria became tired. "Darling, I think I'm going to retire for the day. I'm exhausted from all of this," she said tiredly, gesturing to the mess around them.

Georg gave her a surprised look. "And miss dinner?"

Maria nodded wearily. "I'm afraid so."

"Alright…Are you feeling fine?" Georg questioned skeptically.

"Of course, darling. Don't worry about me," Maria said, waving away the thought as she set down a floral-printed tray in the pile of things that they'd decided to keep.

When she stood up, Georg gripped her by the shoulder. "Maria, promise me, if something happens, you'll let me call the doctor. Trust me, I know how much you dislike them, I care about you. I should've called when you began throwing up but-"

"I promise, Georg," Maria interrupted tiredly.

He gave her an unsettled look. "We'll talk about it later. Good night, love." He gave his wife a kiss on the forehead before watching her leave the room.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Georg had gone through the last few piles, placing a porcelain doll in the pile that he thought Marta or Gretl would like, and a gold wristwatch, which maybe Max could use. He strolled into the kitchen from the storage room, and upon turning on the lights, noticed two figures before him.<p>

"We couldn't sleep, Father," Kurt explained sheepishly.

"_You _couldn't sleep," Friedrich corrected from behind his brother, confidence in his voice. "And you woke me up."

Georg chuckled as his youngest son padded over to the refrigerator. His gaze glided to his eldest son, who had taken a seat at the small table in the corner of the room and was watching him expectantly. Friedrich had grown so much – he was a boy who would grow up to be surrounded by girls and envied by men, though respected.

Kurt, on the other hand, was the most outspoken, silliest boy he'd ever known though he had the gift of making people laugh, which was always appreciated. He watched the boy sit at the table, a muffin and glass of milk in hand, which was expected.

He glanced down at the box of playing cards in his hand, a gift from an old naval friend, an idea coming to him. "Kurt, have we taught you to play War?" he questioned, as he took a seat across from Friedrich.

Kurt shook his head. "I don't think so, Father," he replied, a mouthful of muffin blurring the words.

Georg glanced at Friedrich, a twinkle in his eye, and they exchanged a knowing gaze. "Well, Friedrich and I are going to teach you." He distributed the cards evenly amongst the two, while Friedrich instructed his younger brother, something that touched his heart a bit.

"Leave your cards face down. When we each have twenty-six cards, we'll both flip a card over and whoever has the highest value of card gets to keep both cards," Friedrich tutored.

Georg gave Kurt an encouraging smile as he motioned for them to flip their cards.

"A-ha!" Kurt exclaimed, holding up a king.

Friedrich slowly held up his ace, a mock-evil grin on his face. "Sorry," he apologized good-heartedly. "Again?" Kurt nodded fiercely, as they each turned over a card.

The night went on like this for a while, each boy winning a few rounds, Georg gazing on amusedly and inputting advice. When his watch hit nine-thirty, he declared that it was time for the boys to go to bed. "Aw, really Father?" Kurt asked sadly.

Georg nodded, standing up, Friedrich and Kurt following. "Your mother would kill me if she knew how late you'd stayed up."

After placing his glass in the sink, Kurt gave his Father a tight hug. "Good night, Father. We should do this again sometime."

Georg couldn't help but chuckle. "Of course, Kurt. Good night," he replied, hugging him back. After Kurt left the room, he had the  
>perfect opportunity to talk to Friedrich alone.<p>

"Friedrich…what do you think about Lukas?"

Friedrich gave his father a questionable look. "He's fine, Father. He's very confident, though Liesl seems in love with him."

Georg felt a pang – _Liesl seems in love with him. _"In love?" he questioned firmly, with an arched eyebrow.

Friedrich nodded. "Haven't you seen the way she looks at him?"

He found himself absently nodding at the question. _Of course_ he'd seen his daughter's dreamy stares towards the boy, like yesterday, for example.

"Well, good night Father. We really should do this more often – a men's night," Friedrich suggested with a smile. "Maybe Uncle Max could even come!"  
><em><br>Men?_ Georg chuckled at the word, for Friedrich was only fourteen. "We will, of course. Good night, Friedrich." He gave Friedrich a hug, before he left the room.

Reflecting on the day as he walked up the stairs, Georg realized that it had been a pretty good Sunday – so far.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading this chapter! Please review :)<strong>


	7. Party

**I'm going to start this story up again, starting with the first (1/2) chapter on the party! Enjoy and let me know what you think!**

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><p>As Georg made his way up the staircase that Sunday night, he heard a distant crying coming from the top. Maybe it was Marta or Gretl, scared by the rain? No, it was too old of a voice to be one of the little girls. Suddenly, a horrible thought dawned on him: what if it was Maria? He hurried up the stairs; though the crying had stopped he knew <em>something <em>was wrong with _someone_.

When he was about to burst into his bedroom – the place where the crying had been coming from – he heard a voice that wasn't Maria's. Though he wasn't usually one to pry, he pressed his ear against the door, and listened to the conversation that ensued.

"But Mother, Father _hates _him," Liesl's voice protested weakly. He instantly knew who they were talking about.

"Oh Liesl, your Father doesn't _hate _him…" Maria's voice reasoned back.

"Then why does Father act so horrible around him?"

Georg heard Maria pour herself a glass of water, before she sat down on the bed next to Liesl. "Let's see…your Father feels like your being stolen from him by Lukas." _Stolen?_ Georg thought incredulously. _That wasn't the word…was it? Was he…jealous?  
><em>  
>Liesl's voice echoed his surprised thoughts exactly. "Stolen?"<p>

Georg backed away from the door hesitantly – he didn't want to eavesdrop or listen to the conversation anymore. A few moments later, the door opened to reveal his flustered looking daughter. "Oh, hello Father!" Liesl greeted shakily, though eagerly. "Mother and I were just talking…"

He smiled and made a mental decision not to mention Lukas at that moment. After pausing, he decided Liesl was mature enough to know about Maria's sickness. "You know, your mother hasn't been feeling her best lately. I'm praying that something bad doesn't happen though chances are likely that something will…" Georg noted, his smile melting into a weary sadness.

Liesl glanced at her feet knowingly. "I knew something was wrong when she wasn't at dinner." Suddenly, a horrible thought dawned on her and Georg noticed the worry etched on his daughter's face. "But Father…you don't think…she'll die, will she?"

In that moment, Georg saw a vulnerability in Liesl that he hadn't seen in the past few years. He understood now that when he'd abandoned his children, Liesl had been forced to take care of them – to be strong for them. "Liesl, I promise you…I won't let it happen." He replied strongly, hugging his daughter close to his chest. "Your mother is…irreplaceable, one of a kind – I plan to call the doctor after the party." Georg glanced over Liesl's shoulder to the door which his wife was behind before he felt Liesl pull away from him.

She wiped a stray tear away from her cheek with a smile. "I'm excited for the party, Father."

Georg returned his daughter's smile. "It'll be good practice for when you debut in society next year," he said with a wink. Of course, he wasn't particularly eager for his eldest daughter to be in the spotlight of the public eye, or the talk of salons, but he knew it was important to her. "Now, go get some sleep, darling." Georg gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead before they wished each other goodnight and retired to their rooms.

* * *

><p>That Tuesday evening Maria and Georg welcomed their party guests with graceful smiles, giving them nothing to suspect of Maria's illness. <em>Maria hadn't thrown up that morning<em>, Georg thought optimistically. _Maybe the illness was dying down?_ He could only hope.

Music flowed through the large foyer, which had been decorated beautifully by the servants. Even more beautiful, he thought to himself, was his wife, who was wearing a long, simple light blue gown, something that Liesl had helped her pick out. However, she had insisted on the color, which she knew was Georg's favorite. He admired her audacity to wear something that wouldn't entirely impress certain gossipy women, who would want to be wowed by something dazzling and elegant, but something she was happy with.

From the moment the first guests arrived and engaged Georg in fast conversation, Maria was frazzled, if not overwhelmed. Something about the grandeur of it all, the women in their glittery dresses and perfectly coiffed hair, bothered her. Though Maria's marriage to Georg had made her both a member of the upper-class and a Baroness, she still felt like a simple mountain girl compared to women in these settings. However, she pushed that feeling aside and prepared herself to greet the next guest.

"Well, if it isn't Captain von Trapp! I didn't think you would host another party!" A familiar, playful voice interrupted Georg's thoughts, and upon glancing up, he instantly recognized the face of his old navy friend.

A blonde man in his fifty's stood before him, a pleased grin on the guest's face. "Klaus Reichenberg!" Georg greeted enthusiastically. "How wonderful to see you!"

"Likewise! You remember my wife, Anna?" Klaus gestured to the woman next him. Maria examined the brunette, with her warm smile and petite figure, and decided she looked friendly. Georg kissed the woman's gloved hand, before Klaus continued, "And my son, Werner?"

Of course, Georg recognized the boy with a nod and a handshake – Liesl and Friedrich had played with him as a child, even though he was almost four years older than them. He was handsome, with his mother's dark hair, father's charming smile and dressed in a designer suit, nonetheless. Georg could only think of Liesl in that sense, but his thoughts were interrupted once more.

"And is this your wife?" Klaus questioned expectantly, with a glance towards Maria.

"Oh, yes! This is my wife, Maria." Georg beamed at his wife, pride filling him.

"Hello," Maria smiled as the man kissed her hand.

"How lovely it is to finally meet you! Klaus and I have been seeing horrible things in the papers," Anna said, with noticeable genuine sympathy in her voice.

"Yes, we're getting to the point where we don't read the paper anymore," Klaus added irritatedly.

"Well, we've been ignoring it," Georg replied decisively, as Maria nodded in agreement. It was an uncomfortable topic for Maria; though she gave the Reichenberg's a polite smile.

"We'll continue this chat later; I believe Baron Heppenstahl wants to engage in a lively discussion about politics," Klaus said sarcastically before leading his wife towards the elderly man who was standing against the back wall.

Werner cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh, Captain…may I ask where Liesl is?" he questioned, staring at his shoes.

Georg and Maria exchanged a glance before Georg turned towards the boy with his eyebrows raised. "I believe she is by the courtyard."

"Thank you, sir," Werner replied with an embarrassed nod. He began walking towards the courtyard at a hurried pace.

Georg turned towards his wife with a groan. "I guess we know who Liesl's dance partner will be for the night."

"That is, if she lets him dance with her." Maria winked teasingly at her husband. She, of course, knew who she really wanted to dance with and it was most definitely not Werner.

* * *

><p>Standing by the courtyard doors, Liesl had the perfect view of Lukas. He resided on the piano bench, surrounded by the rest of the orchestra – though he was the real star, she thought with a proud smile as she watched him stroke the keys ever so elegantly. The beautiful music fluttered through the room with such magnificence.<p>

She noticed the various young socialites that surrounded the orchestra curiously, most likely eyeing Lukas. However, she didn't blame them; he was quite attractive, dressed in his tuxedo, his once unkempt hair slicked back, those alluring brown eyes glancing up at her ever so often, his lips giving her a subtle smile – a secret message.

Suddenly, she felt a startling voice in her ear, bringing her back to her surroundings. "How's the view?" Friedrich teased coming up from behind her.  
>Louisa peered at Lukas over her sister's shoulder. "Yes, how <em>is <em>your dear pianist?"

The comments were distant to her, as if her siblings were miles away. She continued to stare longingly at Lukas. Kurt and Brigitta's voices were far away as she leant up against the wall dreamily. "He's a lovely piano player, don't you think?" she broke in, her absent-minded voice soft with affection.

"_I _think you're in love," Louisa observed, a wicked grin perched upon her lips.

Liesl suddenly snapped out of her coma. _In love?! _She whipped towards her sister with a mix of anger and mortification painted on her face. "I am _not_!" she protested, her cheeks turning an embarrassed shade of red.

"Oh, yes you are!" Brigitta teased as she pointed subtly towards the piano, where Lukas was glancing at her, a peaceful smile on his face. Liesl felt her heart melt as he began to play a beautiful melody.

Before her siblings could even so as much laugh, a tall brunette boy stepped past them and tapped Liesl on the shoulder. "Who is that?" Kurt whispered to his siblings, as they all watched the boy curiously.

"Liesl?" The boy's unfamiliar voice startled Liesl. She reluctantly turned away from her focus on Lukas, with the fear that she'd miss one of his dreamy glances, and found herself face-to-face with a familiar boy. "Liesl!"

"Werner…" Her voice trailed off in disappointment, a failed attempt to seem polite. She, Friedrich and Werner had played together as children, but that juvenile friendship had obviously translated to love for him.

"I was wondering whether or not I'd see you tonight!" Werner commented, an enthusiastic grin on his face. "I've missed you and Friedrich tons," He peered around Liesl pointedly to give Friedrich a smile, which Friedrich happily returned. Liesl, on the other hand, was quite frightened by Werner's strong come-on. She tried to glance around the tall boy to find Lukas, but he was blocking her view.

"Anyways, would you like to dance?" Werner questioned eagerly, as her held out his hand for her to take. He was clearly oblivious to the fact that Liesl was distracted by something – or someone.

"I…uh…," Liesl searched for an excuse, glancing over her shoulder, only to see her siblings amused expressions. "I don't know if my Father would approve..."  
>Werner gave her an amused eye roll. "Oh, come on, he let you attend his party, didn't he?"<p>

Liesl felt her cheeks turn red as she heard Louisa and Kurt stifling giggles behind her. Werner took her hand keenly as he swept her into the mass of other couples dancing the Ländler.

They danced swiftly for a few moments, and Liesl could only hope that Lukas wasn't looking their way. Sooner or later, he would let the regular pianist play, which meant he would socialize with the guests. She longed for the moment when they danced together, or, if she was lucky, shared a kiss.

"You should know, my mother was quite excited to meet your…new mother," Werner rambled gregariously. "I think she likes her, though, unlike the rest of society. It seems unfair, to me, how everyone is so quick to judge."

Liesl could only nod aimlessly at the chatter. Her thoughts were occupied by more important things, like if Lukas, or even her Father, had noticed her dancing with Werner. She hoped neither of them had, for very different reasons. If Lukas had seen her dancing with another man, he might get the wrong impression and think that she had been toying with his feelings.

Her father, on the other hand…if _he_ saw her dancing, she would be in for the longest lecture of her life, she was sure of it. Little did he know that she'd already had her first kiss, not to mention her first heartbreak.

"The pianist is quite good, isn't he?" Werner questioned, glancing towards the piano with a curious smile, as he moved Liesl across the floor fluently.

Liesl followed his glance longingly. "Oh, yes. He's lovely," she replied, her voice an attempt to sound impartial. "Very lovely."

* * *

><p>Georg was surprised – he was actually having a good time, all of his prior worries melting away. Maria stood by his side, her arm linked through his jovially and her gleeful laughter chiming throughout the room. It appeared that she hadn't noticed the disapproving stares and gossip that was taking place behind her back – that, or she just didn't care. It was a trait about her that he admired. A few of Georg's close friends had formed a circle of decent jokes and chatter around Maria and himself, Klaus and Anna standing next to them supportively. Pleasant music from across the ballroom filled the air, which Georg enjoyed, despite the fact that the person playing the piano was someone he disliked.<p>

"And then Anna practically fell on her face after having tripped over the man's feet," Klaus's voice boomed amusingly. Georg laughed enthusiastically along with everyone else in the circle.

Anna covered her mouth in attempt to hide her giggles beside Maria who was giggling along with her. "That's not fair, Klaus! I do believe I was practicing for an upcoming performance at the playhouse," Anna protested strongly, placing her hands on her hips and turning her nose towards the ceiling. Maria had learned many things about Anna that night, like the fact that she was an actress at the playhouse in Vienna. Despite all of her worries about fitting in with Georg's high-class friends, it seemed that she had found a comrade during the party. Of course, she had noticed all of the critical stares, though she had chosen long ago to ignore them. She was determined not to let them ruin her and Georg's night.

"Maybe Maria and I will come see you perform, Anna," Georg mused, as he slipped his arm around his wife's waist gently. He glanced down at her angelic face, her bright smile instantly reassuring his ever-so-slight worries about her sickness.

Anna turned towards Maria, clasping her hands together excitedly. "Oh, that would be marvelous! Perhaps you'd like to come stay at our home also!"  
>Maria nodded in agreement enthusiastically. "That sounds lovely! Thank you," she replied pleasantly, as she glanced up at Georg. "What do you think about it Georg?" she questioned, although she could already tell by his distant gaze that he was lost in thought.<p>

Georg glimpsed towards the courtyard doors, only to find six of his children observing the party and chattering eagerly. Though he was having a good time, he could probably speak for both Maria and himself when he said that they'd both rather be spending time with their children. However, Liesl was nowhere to be found within the group, which Georg guessed shouldn't surprise him, for Liesl had always been eager to attend a party.  
>Upon scanning the large room, his eyes finally landed on his eldest daughter. She was dancing with Werner, something he expected to happen, though he never expected Liesl to appear so uncomfortable. Her face was a painting of uneasiness, with the exception of the few times she looked her partner in the eye – only then did she smile, a fake gesture of politeness. Suddenly, he desired to dance with his daughter; to protect her from the boy.<p>

He gave Maria's hand a tight squeeze before striding confidently away from his group of friends and into the sea of dancers. Once he approached his daughter and Werner, he cleared his throat.

"Oh, Father!" Liesl greeted, a huge grin having appeared on her face.

Georg returned the warm smile and turned to Werner. "May I cut in?"

Werner glanced at Liesl, who was smiling at her father affectionately. He'd get a chance to dance with her later, he was sure of it. "Uh…of course, sir," he muttered as he took his hand off of Liesl's shoulder and backed away as Liesl began dancing with the Captain.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Liesl?" Georg asked his daughter, with an intentional, knowing smile towards Werner.

Liesl followed her father's glance. "Oh yes, very much," she politely replied, her voice betraying her embarrassment.

Georg chuckled at his daughter's attempt to hide her dislike for Werner. " You look very grown up tonight, it's no wonder Werner is infatuated with you."

"Oh, Father," she blushed at the compliment and smiled up at his face. "Thank you." The dance ended shortly, leaving both father and daughter disappointed that their time together had ended so quickly. Someone in the distance announced that dinner was being served.

"I'm going to go find your mother, but try to find yourself a dinner partner, alright?" Georg gave his daughter a wink and a smile, before disappearing into the mass of guests. Liesl glanced around the room in search of someone she knew or had danced with in the past few hours, like the single, but rude Baron Albrecht or Herr Schoonburg, an elderly friend of Uncle Max's.

Suddenly Werner appeared before her. "Do you have a dinner partner?" he asked, his voice a little too eager for Liesl's liking. She didn't know how to respond – of course, she needed a dinner partner, but Werner Reichenberg wasn't exactly what she had in mind.

She felt a hand touch her shoulder lightly from behind. "She has one already." Whirling around, she found Lukas's lovely face right over her shoulder.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading this chapter! Please let me know what you think of it!<strong>


	8. Party Part 2

"Oh, thank you for rescuing me," Liesl whispered to Lukas after Werner had skulked away from them disappointedly.

"From the way you were looking at him while you two were dancing, I-"

Liesl cringed at the statement. This is what she had feared the most. "You saw us dancing?"

"Of course," Lukas said in a matter-of-fact tone. "And I have to say, you looked quite uncomfortable." The foyer was almost empty as the guests trickled into the dining room.

Liesl glanced across the room at her father and mother, who were telling her siblings goodnight. "You aren't the only one who noticed."

Lukas gave the girl a questionable look. "Your Father noticed? Was he mad?"

She shook her head with a quiet smile. "No…I think, just maybe, he is finally accepting that I'm growing up."

Lukas and Liesl exchanged smiles, then went into the dining hall.

* * *

><p>Across the foyer, Maria and Georg were surrounded by choruses of "Why can't we stay?" and "Oh, please Father!" from their children. While Louisa's voice was the least protesting, the littlest von Trapp child's was the most.<p>

Gretl glanced up at her father with a frown. "Father, why can't we stay for dinner, like Liesl?"

At mention of his eldest daughter, Georg glanced across the room to Liesl, who was talking to Lukas, a smile on her face. It was inevitable, he supposed.

"Gretl," he sighed, lifting his littlest daughter into his arms. "I'm sure you would much rather play with your dolls than listen to a bunch of adults gossip and talk about politics." However, the frowns remained.

Maria smiled at her youngest, as she touched her arm with a smile. "Gretl, why don't we go into town tomorrow?"

Everyone laughed as the little girl's face lit up at the idea in confirmation. "Alright, everyone upstairs, go get ready for bed," Georg ordered, amused.

Each child gave their mother a kiss on the cheek and their father a hug before telling their parents 'good night!' and happily chattering all the way up the stairs.

Georg wrapped an arm around his wife, who had a peaceful smile on her lips, and the two began to walk towards the dining room. "This night has been wonderful, Georg," Maria remarked. "And I haven't felt sick once," she noted with a playful wink.

Georg chuckled at the mention of the illness. "I'm glad, darling. And did I mention you look absolutely beautiful this evening, wearing blue of all colors?"

"But of course, Captain! And I must say, you also look very handsome tonight," Maria declared grandly, earning a gleaming grin from her husband.

Georg pulled his wife closer to him. "Well, Baroness, you are most likely the loveliest, most wonderful woman at this party."

A bashful smile came to Maria's lips. "Oh, Georg..."

He tilted her chin up, so that he could look into her baby blue eyes. "It's true, my love." He kissed her lovingly, before pulling away and taking her hand.

The pair glanced around the empty foyer. "We must eat," Maria sighed. "I wish we could be like this forever."

Georg squeezed her hand encouragingly as they approached the doors. "Don't worry darling…we'll be alone next week, when the children go back to school."

Maria raised an eyebrow, the previously serene look on her face disappearing. "We will, won't we?"

"O-ho, don't go getting any ideas, Baroness!" Georg exclaimed, with a wink. The couple's joyous laughter chimed through the foyer before Georg opened the doors to the dining room to reveal many of Austria's elite awaiting their arrival. He laced his arm through his wife's, guiding her towards the head of the table, where Liesl was sitting next to…was that _Lukas?_ He guessed that he shouldn't have been surprised, though he couldn't help but feel a bit irritated by his presence next to his daughter. He also noted that Max hadn't arrived yet, as he was still picking up Elsa from her hotel. Sitting across from Liesl, were the Elberfeld's, an elderly couple who were practically Austrian royalty.

Baroness Elberfeld, who was talking to Liesl, glanced up as Georg and Maria walked to their seats. "Oh, Captain, what a lovely daughter you have!"

A knowing smile appeared on Maria and Georg's faces. "Thank you, Baroness," Georg replied as he gave Liesl an affectionate pat on the shoulder.

He pulled out Maria's chair for her to sit before sitting down himself. "A charming young woman, how rare these days," Baroness Elberfeld commented. _Young woman, _Georg thought as he watched Liesl interact politely with the people around her.

"Yes," Georg nodded agreeably, "We're very proud of her."

A young woman chimed in from down the table. "Just the other day, I heard of the Schliegl's daughter's elopement to that…boy she met in Innsbruck. Absolutely ridiculous."

Baron Elberfeld sniffed distastefully at the notion. "If Pauline had eloped, we would have disowned her." A few people sitting around them chuckled at the Baron's old fashioned ways, though Maria couldn't help but feel horrified at the Baron's suggestion. She could never disown any of her children!

Georg noticed the look of disgust on his wife's face and chuckled softly. "Don't mind the Baron," he whispered. "He's very old, and from what Max has said, 'insane'."

Maria laughed quietly into her hand, careful not to let any of the aristocrats notice her, knowing they would disapprove. She felt so utterly out of place, dining with the likes of the upper class.

Baroness Elberfeld waved away the comments around her, for she wasn't one for petty gossip. "Liesl, dear, how old are you?" she questioned gently.

"Sixteen," Liesl answered the woman confidently. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her Father watching her proudly.

"My, my, practically a debutante!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, before turning to Georg. "Captain, when are you planning her debut?"

Caught off-guard by the question, Georg didn't know how to answer. He was only just beginning to realize that Liesl was a young woman, and they'd only hinted at her debuting into society, not seriously discussed it. "Er…"

"Whenever it's best for Liesl. She does still have school to consider, of course," Maria replied pleasantly, seeing her husband was at a loss for words.

Baroness Elberfeld examined Captain von Trapp's young wife sensibly, as the first course was placed in front of each guest. She knew very little about the woman, except that she was a former postulant who had come to be a governess to Georg's seven children. Of course, she had heard the gossip about her, and she knew better than to give in to the fictional drama that the high class of Austria had created. And, most of all, she knew better of Georg; the idea of him seducing his young governess was highly unlike her old friend. "Ahh, I see. Perhaps next year at the latest," she nodded agreeably. "Oh, I've forgotten to ask about Paris! How did you like it, Baroness? I take it you've never been?"

"It was absolutely beautiful! Everything was so gorgeous!" Maria enthused, as she thought back to their honeymoon. What a lovely time it had been, seeing the sights and going on picnics in the countryside. "I do hope to go back someday, though, so I can try out my newly acquired language..."

"Ah, French…the language of romance," Baroness Elberfeld glanced at Georg and Maria, who were looking at each other as affectionately as newlyweds could. She could tell Georg was truly in love with this woman, who, she noted, was just as delightful and loving as Agathe had been.

* * *

><p>Lukas took a bite of the third course of linzertorte, just before feeling a hand clap his left shoulder casually. "Ah, Max! You've finally arrived!" he heard the Captain greet the impresario from the head of the table. However, he noticed the Captain's face sour for a second at the sight of the elegant woman behind his friend. From what Liesl had told him, this was Baroness Schrader, once her father's fiancée.<p>

"Of course, I wouldn't miss Cook's schnitzel for the world," Max replied teasingly as he and Elsa took their seats next to Lukas. A few of the guests chuckled at Max's comment, knowing his love for fine food.

"Good evening, Captain, Baroness," Elsa offered with a graceful smile towards the couple at the head of the table. She didn't _want _to feel jealous of the couple, but she couldn't help but envy their evident happiness.

Georg replied with only a nod of welcome, and then returned to his conversation with Baroness Elberfeld. Maria felt her husband take her hand casually under the table, a signal that she should ignore Elsa and focus on the party.

Max turned to Lukas after appeasing elderly Baron Heppenstahl with a quick chat. "I apologize for not being here to see your performance, though I'm sure everything went well?"

Lukas nodded in response. "I played a few pieces, to everyone's liking, and then it was time to eat." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Very good…"Max raised an eyebrow questionably at the boy, as he noticed who he was sitting next to. "And I see you've chosen your dinner partner for the evening most cleverly."

Before Lukas could respond, Max leaned past him to Liesl. "My dear, how are you enjoying the party?"

"Oh, it's wonderful, Uncle Max!" Liesl replied cheerily, a dreamy look in her eyes. "I've met so many enchanting people, and danced with so many men…"  
>Max smiled at the girl's joyful enthusiasm towards the party, then glimpsed at Lukas, who seemed to be amused by it. "Has charming Lukas taken good care of you?"<p>

Lukas and Liesl exchanged one look, and burst into peals of laughter. He didn't understand what was so funny about the question, though he caught Georg looking curiously at the couple. "What is so absolutely entertaining, you two? Hmm?" Max questioned urgently, hoping no one else would notice the moment.

"It was nothing, really, Uncle Max…" Liesl shrugged, but Max could tell something had happened between the two when they exchanged knowing smiles before Liesl turned away to converse with someone else.

Max gave Lukas a doubtful look. "Lukas, you've remembered my advice, haven't you?"

The boy sighed. "Herr Detweiler, you must trust me. We're only friends." However, he wanted to be more than that with Liesl, no matter how much Herr Detweiler or the Captain objected.

"Alright…I trust you, Lukas." He _did _trust the boy, though he knew he liked Liesl as more than a friend, that much he could tell. Would he act on his feelings? _Only time could tell_, he thought.

"Anyway, I've got to phone someone…" The boy's voice trailed off as he got up quickly and strided out of the dining room.  
>Max shook his head, bewildered at the boy. However, he noticed two young women, who were sitting across from him and Elsa, watch him go, whispering to each other rather eagerly.<p>

"Max, just _who _is your friend?" Elsa questioned, intrigued. "He seems absolutely _delightful_…"

"Elsa! You cannot be serious, my darling!" He glanced to Liesl, who thankfully, was deep in conversation with Fraulein Schreiber and had not heard.

"Elsa..." He knew Lukas was terribly handsome, but Elsa was very much above him in every sense of the matter. Everyone _is falling in love with him, _Max thought with a sigh. Next time, he'd find an _ugly _musician.

* * *

><p>After dinner had finished, the party guests streamed into the foyer, the orchestra resumed their playing, and everyone began dancing again. Liesl filed out behind Baron and Baroness Elberfeld. She glanced around for Lukas, but it seemed he was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared suddenly during the third course of dinner, and she had been too deep in conversation with the guests around her to ask Uncle Max where he had gone.<p>

She noticed her Uncle now, leading Baroness Schraeder towards the dance floor and approached him. "Uncle Max, do you know where Lukas has gone? I can't seem to find him anywhere."

Max noticed the hint of disappointment in the girl's voice, while Elsa, whose arm was linked through Max's, raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Liesl, is your father letting you…court? My, my, has your mother changed this household…" she mused wryly.

"No!" he directed warningly towards his partner, before he turned towards Liesl. "I believe he was making a telephone call in the parlor."

"Oh thank you Uncle Max, I know I can always count on you!" Liesl exclaimed before hurrying away in the direction of the parlor. Max sighed before continuing to lead Elsa through the sea of dancers. In his heart, he knew it was inevitable that some kind of relationship would develop between the Captain's daughter and his musical prodigy, and he was powerless to stop it, as he had tried many times to warn Lukas and failed. He could see how they enjoyed each other's company, laughing and sharing jokes that no one else understood…the only part that concerned him was that Georg had noticed too.

* * *

><p>Liesl made her way towards the parlor, which was tucked away in the back of the house, near her father's study. Upon bursting into the room, she saw that Lukas was nowhere to be found. His muscular form was not positioned on the luxurious lounge nor was it standing near the side table which held the telephone. "Lukas?"<p>

As she scanned the room, she noticed the curtains in front of the French doors were slightly pushed aside and blowing softly in the wind. _He must be outside, _she thought quizzically.

"Lukas?" she beckoned again, opening the door and peering into the dark. After her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized that there was a figure with his back to her standing on the terrace, facing the lake. He seemed to be deep in thought, as he didn't turn around.

She cautiously stepped closer to him. "Lukas? Are you alright?"

The form before her quickly whipped around. "Oh, Liesl! I – I didn't know you were out here…" Lukas's voice sounded rough and fatigued. "Yes…yes, I'm fine." He turned away from her to face the lake again. Pleasant music and the sound of chatter from the foyer faintly floated out onto the quiet terrace.  
>Liesl knew something had happened just by looking at him – his once perfectly styled hair was disheveled again, his tuxedo jacket was thrown carelessly over a patio chair, and he had a stormy, thoughtful look on his face. "No…something's wrong. Tell me," she inquired gently, touching his shoulder.<p>

He sighed heavily. "It's just…I telephoned my father tonight and it seems that we're not exactly on as good of terms as I thought. I knew he was angry at me for leaving home to pursue what he would refer to as a 'silly daydream', but I assumed he would have accepted my leaving by now."

"Have you tried to explain to him that this is your dream?"

"Many times! And he just doesn't understand – it's so…so frustrating!" Lukas threw his hands in the air, obviously irritated.

Liesl watched Lukas as the tired expression on his face turned to one of anger and hurt. "Lukas," she began quietly, "I think you should follow your dreams, no matter what your father thinks of them. You are a _great _musician and you shouldn't let anyone discourage you." By the end, her voice was empowered and she was clutching his arm with a firm hand.

Lukas was stunned that such strong words had come from the girl. Their gaze locked as he turned to face her; her intense eyes indicated that she really did care about him. "Thank you," he nodded. "I really needed to hear that, especially now."

"Anytime," Liesl replied, a smile forming on her lips. He grinned back at her, joy from her words obviously overpowering him. With no hesitation, he leaned quickly towards her, planting a kiss on her lips.

As he pulled away, he looked at her face to measure her reaction. Was she in shock, angered at him or embarrassed? None of the above, it seemed, as she glanced at his lips, her smile widening at what had just occurred. The two stood staring at each other in awe for a second before a familiar male voice was heard from the parlor.

"Liesl?"

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for reading! I appreciate reviews! I do not own the Sound of Music<strong>


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